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| a fine winter's day - at last! |
"What a difference a day makes!" says the old song and it certainly did this week in the Isle of Man. On Tuesday we were treated to Storm Chandra with rain and severe gales but on Wednesday it was all blue sky and light winds! After being cooped up indoors for most of the day on Tuesday it was a real pleasure to spend the morning out in the sunshine and fresh air at the Reserve. Here is what I recorded:Birds:
SC209694 ( from hide) male & female Mallards; 2 x Blackbird; 2 x Woodpigeon in Churchyard trees; 3 x Goldfinch; 2 x Robin flew in quick succession low over water and into vegetation.
SC209694 ( elsewhere) 2 x Blackbird; Heron flying over; Robin; Wren; Water Rail heard but not seen ( not coming from reeds); 8 x Goldfinch flying over; Coal Tit in firs of Old School House garden; Goldcrest in firs of Old School House garden; Chaffinch; Pheasant heard not seen; 2 x Great Tit along Gorse Boundary.
SC208694 Magpie seen in 2 locations; 3 x Blue Tit together in tree + 1 singleton; Robin; Jackdaws flying over; Goldcrest in the firs; Blackbird; Woodpigeon; Wren; Great Tit;
SC209695 2 x Goldfinch; 2 x Robin ( 1 sitting on back of the Bowman Memorial Bench, the other in a tree nearby at the same time); male Chaffinch; Redwing briefly in tree.
SC208695 ( on or near Feeders) 2 x Coal Tit; 2 x Robin; 6 x Goldfinch; male & female Chaffinch; 5 x Blue Tit; 4 x Great Tit; 7 x Long-tailed Tit; Dunnock; Blackbird; Great Spotted Woodpecker; Magpie.
SC208695 ( elsewhere) 2 x Blackbird together in corner Hawthorn bush; 2 x Great Tit in corner Hawthorn bush
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| Mallards glimpsed from the far end of the pond |
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| as I entered the hide they moved off and started to feed |
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| later they were dozing at the back of the pond |
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| Goldcrest |
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| there were Robins wherever I went |
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| sometimes 2 together |
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| Blue Tit |
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| Blackbird in the old Beehive Corner |
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| a second one came out of the bush below to join the first |
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| the feeders were busy, especially with Blue & Great Tits |
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| one of 2 Coal Tits |
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| Robin about to dislodge the Coal Tit |
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| Blue Tit |
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| Blue Tit & Great Tit |
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| a small flock of Long-tailed Tits visited briefly |
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| Goldfinches feeding |
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| Dunnock |
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| Coal Tit near the feeders |
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| Great Spotted Woodpecker flew in briefly |
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| it moved to the trees just outside the Reserve |
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| but then a second bird landed right beside me! |
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| and began tapping for insects |
The Woodpecker came in from the left, settled in the Sycamore tree using it as a staging post before flying to the mature trees in the private land next door.
While making the above video clip of it feeding some distance away, a second one flew in and landed in a small tree right beside me so I was able to make a video of this one too. If you miss it finding and eating something near the beginning of the film, do watch again!
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| I can't believe the Pestle Puffball stipe is still standing after all this time |
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| my final recording visit of January |
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| how lovely to see blue skies again |
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| Storm Chandra had damaged a willow |
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| my usual clockwise route round |
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| yesterday's rain has taken its toll - the usual puddle bigger than ever |
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| usual view of the hide, a pair of Mallards were nearby |
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| a muddy path junction |
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| in all directions |
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| the new glade - I heard the Water Rail from here |
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| usual view from the ramp |
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| through the shutters - a few collapsed reeds |
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| most still standing though |
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| through the side shutter |
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| meadow sunshine |
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| the stream pouring over the dam |
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| heading for the bridge |
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| the reed channel still flowing well |
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| reeds more flattened here |
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| the firs near the compost heaps |
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| it's very muddy at the end of the willow path |
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| but the dead hedge lures you on! |
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| hide seen from dead hedge |
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| back through the willows |
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| usual view of the boardwalk from near the bridge |
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| looking back over the meadow |
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| looking back along the boardwalk |
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| the stream from the boardwalk - one direction |
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| and the other |
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| view from the boardwalk |
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| the little copse enclosed by the Old Beehive Loop |
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| and from the other side |
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| hard to imagine that beehives once stood in this corner |
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| the Dropwort is coming through along the stream |
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| the Gorse Boundary |
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| taken both ways from near the dragonfly pond |
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| the pond is brimful |
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| usual view |
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| lovely reflections |
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| surprised to see Ginnie's bench missing - away for maintenance? |
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| With cold feet, but a warm glow from all I had seen, I headed for home |
To close, here is a short video of the feeders in action - you will appreciate how difficult it is to count each species with so much to-ing and fro-ing!
The forthcoming work party on 31st will round off January. I look forward to what February might bring at the Reserve.
please click on photos to enlarge them
