| Birds
Click on any picture to see a larger =
image=20
30/12/11 The Great=20
Spotted- Woodpecker was again drumming on the Oak by =
Dragonfly=20
Bridge and a Cormorrant was seen =
flying E in=20
Area 5.=20
29/12/11 A good walk this morning =
which took=20
in Areas 4,5,6,7 & 8. The highlights were in Area 4 a pair =
of Bullfinches were feeding on vegetation =
alongside=20
the Brook and 2 Little Egrets were =
roosting=20
in trees at the balancing pond. Another Little Egret=20
or possibly one of the Area 4 pair was seen flying from =
trees=20
near Brook Close in Area 6 also a Red Kite =
and 12 Fieldfares . The best =
bird=20
however a Raven was seen and heard =
calling by=20
Paul Bright- Thomas in Area 4 at approx 11:00. This is another =
new bird=20
for the FOTEB list and brings this years total so far to 84 =
species.=20
28/12/11 This morning =
between Ripplestream=20
and Kingfisher Bridge this Kingfisher =
was=20
seen and photographed by Les Steele. 20 Fieldfares=20
were seen in Area 4 by Paul Bright-Thomas.
27/12/11 The Redwings=20
who have now increased to 50+ were again spooked from the =
tree=20
tops with 15 Wood Pigeons . by an =
Sparrowhawk in Area 5. A Great=20
spotted Woodpecker was heard drumming by the balancing =
pond.=20
25/12/11 MERRY=20
CHRISTMAS Only a quick walk this morning before the =
festivities=20
to top up the bird feeders but still 20 birds were seen =
including=20
this Robin (well it is Christmas). =
Let me=20
take this opportunity on behalf of FOTEB of wishing you all a =
very Happy=20
and Fulfilling Christmas and a very prosperous New Year=20
24/12/11 Todays highlight was a =
female Bullfinch seen in Area 4 .=20
23/12/11 With their habit of =
sitting at the=20
tops of trees 25 Redwings were an =
easy target=20
for a Sparrowhawk in Area 5 this =
morning.=20
Despite his best efforts none were caught. The commotion also =
sent a=20
flock of Siskin & Goldfinch =
exploding=20
from the same Alder tree.=20
20/12/11 With daily =
sightings the Little Egret would appear to be well and =
truly=20
back. This morning it was seen flying over the Emm by Woosehill=20
Roundabout in Area 5 at 09:00. It appeared again by the =
balancing pond=20
later being harrassed by 2 Herring Gulls=20
before flying off SW. 7 Redwing =
were=20
seen feeding on the open space behind the Acorn Centre in Area 5 =
whilst=20
in Area 10 Richard Marsh saw 15 sitting in trees alongside the =
Emm Brook=20
around Lavells Lake car park in Sandford Lane. Also seen were 15 =
Fieldfare At this time of the year the =
vegetation=20
alongside the Emm is good a foraging area for Wren=20
. They usually forage close to ground level for spiders =
and=20
insects, creeping and flitting among the stems. This one however =
was=20
enjoying the sun on an old umbellifer.=20
19/12/11 In Area 4 this morning =
Paul Bright=20
Thomas had a Cormorrant flying high =
SW and a=20
flock of 15 Siskin . At lunch time =
the Little Egret was again seen sitting in =
the trees=20
around the Balancing pond by Smiths Walk.=20
18/12/11 The Little=20
Egret was seen again today at 09:25 in Area 4 in the =
Balancing=20
pond by Smiths Walk.=20
17/12/11 A sunny start to =
the day in Areas=20
4 & 5 before sleety rain and then more sun gave a good =
variety of=20
birds this morning. Redwing numbers =
were up=20
with a small party sitting in tree tops. Great=20
spotted Woodpecker & Green Woodpecker were seen and a =
Goldcrest was feeding by Ripple Stream =
Bridge. A=20
Grey Wagtail was in a puddle by =
Dragonfly=20
Bridge but the highlight for me was a Little Egret=20
feeding in the channel in the Balancing Pond in Area 4. =
It flew=20
off to sit in an nearby tree before flying off.=20
11/12/11 Todays highlights in =
Areas 4 &=20
5 were a female Bullfinch the first =
for a few=20
months. The feeders were proving very popular with a Great spotted Woodpecker on the fat =
balls, 13 Greenfich on the ground feeders and a =
steady stream=20
of Blue Tit, Great Tit & Nuthatch =
. 5=20
Long tailed Tits paid a brief visit =
and a=20
Dunnock was rummaging around the =
floor under=20
the feeders. By the Balancing Pond 5 Redwings=20
were sitting in the treetops. In Area 7 a Little Egret was seen by Ruth Oakman in =
the=20
tributary to the Emm by Toutley Bridge on Old Forest Road.=20
10/12/11 The large Finch flock in =
Area 5 to=20
the Rear of Morrissons by Dragonfly Bridge is still regularly =
seen in=20
the Alders. The flock mainly consists of Goldfinches, Siskin & Greenfinch and =
can often=20
been seen exploding from the trees. 14 Goldfinches=20
were on garden feeders nearby.=20
06/12/11 This mornings walk to =
work through=20
Areas 4 & 5 produced 2 Goldcrests =
feeding=20
in the Ivy near Ripple Stream Bridge. A Grey Wagtail=20
in the Balancing Pond , non stop singing Song=20
Thrushes probably 5 birds at least and rattling Mistle Thrushes .=20
04/12/11 A gloomy start to the =
morning but a=20
total of 31 species seen in Areas 3,4 & 5. On the Emm were 5 =
feeding=20
Mallard 3 male & 2 female. The =
Kingfisher was seen flying upstream from =
its perch=20
at Kingfisher Bridge and a Grey Wagtail =
was=20
again near the balancing pond. Flyovers included a very noisy =
party of=20
12 Herring Gulls , 2=20
Egyptian Geese flying low S seen by Paul Bright-Thomas =
and a=20
Pied Wagtail in Area 3 by Lidl. =
Both ends of=20
the size spectrum were on view with a Goldcrest=20
seen whilst looking at a soaring Red Kite=20
. A couple of Redwings were =
eating=20
Hawthorn berries with 4 Mistle Thrushes =
. At=20
garden feeders in Area 5 a female Blackcap =
was eating Sunflower hearts.=20
03/12/11 Todays highlights in =
Areas 4 &=20
5 included a single Coal Tit at the =
feeders.=20
The resident Grey Wagtail was =
feeding on the=20
Emm near Dragonfly Bridge and nearby a party of 30 Siskins were feeding in the brook side =
Alders. In=20
the afternoon in Area 2 behind Tesco's the more rural nature of =
the=20
terrain produced 2 StockDoves =
numerous Jackdaws & Carrion Crows and a =
handfull of=20
Redwings & Fieldfares .=20
01/12/11 Todays walk around Area 4 =
& 5=20
reminded me that at this time of the year there are not too many =
suprises of the avian kind along the Emm. Regularly seen are =
Blue Tits, Great Tits & Long tailed Tits =
.=20
Thrush numbers are still high with the usual numbers of Song Thrush, Mistle Thrush, Blackbird & =
Robins=20
swelled by winter migrants. Gulls in the form of Black headed & Herring gulls can be =
seen most=20
mornings heading south to feed on nearby lakes. Carrion Crows, Magpies & Jays all =
members of=20
the Crow family, can all be seen on most days.=20
|
Insects/ Spiders
Click on any picture to see a larger =
image=20
Plants/Trees=20
28/12/11 Usually a harbinger =
of Spring and=20
seen from late January onwards this Lesser =
Celandine=20
Ranunculus ficiria on the banks of the Emm by =
Dragonfly=20
Bridge appears to be confused.=20
04/12/11 Yarrow=20
can still be seen in flower in Area 4 near Kingfisher =
Bridge.=20
Why do leaves change colour in the Autumn?
Find out here Autumn=20
Leaves |
Other Wildlife
Click on any picture to see a larger =
image=20
Fungi=20
Mammals
01/12/11 With the leaves =
nearly all gone=20
Squirrels can know be seen on the =
ground and=20
chasing around the trees. Keep an eye out for exposed old =
Squirrel dreys=20
(nests ) often close to the tree trunk.=20
Amphibians
Coarse Fish
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