| Birds
Click on any picture to see a larger =
image=20
27/10/11 Even with the dark and =
wet mornings=20
I was able to pick out 2 Goldcrests =
feeding=20
in the Ivy clad trees in Area 4 .=20
24/10/11 Todys highlights in Area =
5 were a=20
Grey Heron flying E over my garden. =
This is=20
the first for some while. Singles of Sparrowhawk=20
& Red Kite were also seen.=20
23/10/11 6 of the Ring-necked Parakeet's flew back SE over =
Area 5=20
this morning. At the feeding station approx 30 Collared Doves flew from the trees and =
floor when I=20
approached to refill the feeders. A single Skylark=20
flew N and approx 100+ Wood Pigeons =
were seen flying S.=20
22/10/11 This morning 7 Ring-necked Parakeet were seen flying =
south over=20
Area 5 .However 14 were seen in 3 groups by Paul Bright Thomas. =
These=20
birds must be flying to and from a roost. A group of 9 Fieldfare were seen on top of Alders =
behind=20
Morrissons.=20
20/10/11 At 17:35 13 Ring-necked Parakeet were seen flying =
north over my=20
Area 5 garden=20
1910/11 A wet walk home was =
brightened by a=20
Kingfisher flying downstream =
towards=20
Dragonfly Bridge.=20
18/10/11 The Kingfisher=20
was seen again today perched at RippleStream Bridge, =
before it=20
flew upstream out of sight.=20
16/10/11 A bit of an anti climax =
today with=20
the only birds of note a Kingfisher =
flying=20
downstream of Dragonfly Bridge and a Grey =
Wagtail=20
flying upstream.=20
15/10/11 A visit into Area 8 today =
was very=20
rewarding. In a recently ploughed field a minimum of 60 Black-headed Gulls were searching the =
soil for food=20
with 6 Jackdaws & 1 Herring Gull . Overhead Skylarks and Pied =
Wagtails=20
were calling . Soaring on the thermals were 6 Buzzards . Meanwhile in Area 5 a couple =
of Canada Geese flew south , and the Sparrowhawk seems to have taken up =
residence, with=20
its allmost daily sightings. Highlight of the day once again =
goes to=20
Paul Bright-Thomas with a male Crossbill=20
flying low North over his Area 4 garden calling. Also =
seen were 2=20
Fieldfares flying SW and a Lesser Redpoll . This brings this years =
FOTEB bird=20
list to a total of 82 species .=20
14/10/11 Despite the warm weather, =
Winter is=20
on its way . Seen today 10 Siskins =
in with=20
the Finch flock in the Alders. Winter Thrushes are back with 11 =
Redwings perched atop the trees in Area 5 =
seen by=20
me , but 30 and 35 Redwings seen by =
Paul=20
Bright Thomas flying west over Area 4.=20
13/10/11 With the mornings getting =
darker=20
the birds seen on the walk to work are getting less and I am =
having to=20
rely on hearing them as well. So this mornings 3 Mistle Thrush with their rattling call =
were=20
welcome. The first bird heard singing most mornings is the Robin The robin is one of the few birds =
in the UK=20
that sing all year round. This is due to the importance of =
holding=20
winter territories. Only for a short period in late summer while =
they=20
are moulting and inconspicuous do robins stop singing. Both =
sexes sing.=20
However it was a stark contrast in the afternoon when the sun =
came out=20
whilst visiting the balancing pond in Area 4. In a surreal =
moment=20
drinking and bathing side by side in the channel that runs =
through the=20
middle were 3 Blue Tits , a Great Tit , Chaffinch ,=20
Greenfinch & a male Blackcap . This was followed by fly over =
Green & Great spotted Woodpeckers . =
Later a=20
soaring Red Kite and a calling =
Sky Lark were seen. Grey=20
Wagtail
10/10/11 Todays highlights in Area =
5=20
included fly over Herring & Lesser =
black-Backed=20
Gulls , Red Kite & Grey Wagtail
09/10/11 The birds along the Brook =
can now=20
be seen to gathering in larger flocks. 15 Collared=20
Doves were seen around the feeding station in Area 5. The =
finch=20
flock has risen to approx 40 birds mainly Goldfinch=20
& Greenfinch . Thrushes included 5 Mistle=20
Thrush , 4 Blackbirds & =
2 Song Thrush. All 4 Tits (Blue,=20
Great & Coal inclding small flock of 7 Long tailed Titswere seen. A Sparrowhawk was seen looking for =
breakfast, while .=20
4 Canada Goose flew north at 07:45. =
06/10/11 Seen this morning in Area =
5 on my=20
walk to work a Kingfisher flying =
upstream=20
between Ripple Stream and Dragonfly Bridge. Approx 5 mins later =
a=20
possible 2nd Kingfisher was seen =
again flying=20
upstream of Kingfisher bridge in Area 4.=20
05/10/11 Today in Area 4 seen by =
Paul=20
Bright-Thomas all flying south 1 Lesser=20
Redpoll, 10 Meadow Pipits, 2 =
Swallows and 4 Golden Plover=20
. In Area 5, 11 Canada Geese =
flew=20
West, also a Red Kite was seen =
being mobbed=20
by Herring Gulls and a Grey Wagtail was around Riple Stream =
Bridge.=20
02/10/11 A walk around Area =
4 & 5=20
today before it got to hot produced 29 species. These were Robin singing in the dark before 06:00, =
Magpie, Jay , Great Tit, Blue Tit, Wood Pigeon, =
Wren &=20
Starling. . The Finch flock of Goldfinch,=20
Greenfinch & Chaffinch were again spooked by a fly =
through=20
Sparrowhawk . Thrushes were =
represented by=20
Blackbird, Mistle & Song Thrush =
. Fly=20
overs included 1 Cormorrant fllying =
West, 7=20
Skylarks flying East , 8 Herring Gulls flying South, 9 Mallard flying East & a Red=20
Kite flying all over the place. Other birds seen were =
Green Woodpecker, Great spotted Woodpecker, =
Nuthatch,=20
House Sparrow, Dunnock, Chiffchaff, Carrion Crow, Collared Dove =
&=20
Grey Wagtail. In Area 2 more flyovers with 11 Canada Geese flying South calling in 2 =
seperate=20
waves, 2 Swallows flying South a =
single Skylark and numerous Rooks=20
& Jackdaws .. This brings todays total to 33 species. =
01/10/11 A visit to Area 2 =
today produced=20
all the Corvids with Rooks, Carrion Crow =
&=20
Jackdaws . A Black headed Gull =
was=20
also seen. In Area 5 a Sparrowhawk =
flushed=20
about 30 Greenfinchs from a Poplar =
tree. The=20
first Lesser Redpolls of the Autumn =
were seen=20
in Area 4 by Paul Bright-Thomas.=20
|
Insects/ Spiders
Click on any picture to see a larger =
image=20
15/10/11 Despite the cold =
start to the=20
moning it soon warmed up and in Area 8 ( Old Forest Road ) =
butterflies=20
were still on the wing. 2 Red Admrals =
wee=20
seen and a single Small Copper was =
feeding on=20
the flowers of Ragwort. Stridulating Roesel's Bush=20
Crickets were also heard and seen . Resting on riverside=20
vegetation was a male Banded Demoiselle =
13/10/11 Whilst running the risk =
of picking=20
Blackberries after St Michaelmas Day. I found a Green Shield Bug and a Red=20
Admiral butterfly in the bush.=20
09/10/11 Following an =
afternoons gardening=20
in Area 5 this Lesser Stag Beetle =
(Dorcus=20
parallelopipedus) was found in the house. This is a =
new=20
addittion to the FOTEB Insect list. Whilst running the risk of =
picking=20
Blackberries after St Michaelmas Day. I also found a Green Shield Bug and a Red=20
Admiral butterfly in the bush.=20
02/10/11 The warm weather =
continues and a=20
Red Admiral butterfly was feeding =
on Ivy with=20
Honey Bees Apis mellifera in =
Area 1.=20
In Area 10 2 Comma butterflies were =
seen.=20
01/10/11 A Speckled Wood=20
butterfly was seen this afternoon in Area 5. |
Other Wildlife
Click on any picture to see a larger =
image=20
Mammals
01/10/11 A =
Pipistrelle=20
Bat was seen flying through gardens in Area 5 this =
morning at=20
06:45=20
Plants/Trees=20
Why do leaves change colour in the Autumn?
Find out here Autumn=20
Leaves=20
06/10/11 With carpets of Acorns eveywhere it seems that 2011 is a =
mast year=20
for Oaks along the Brook and =
Southern=20
Britain. Oak trees produce acorns every year but every four to =
seven=20
years they produce an extra heavy crop. These are called mast =
years.=20
There is still plenty of debate as to why trees behave in this =
way: it=20
could be to do with water availability, temperature (in winter =
or=20
spring), lack of frost during flowering or other reasons . We =
know that=20
the extra effort put into producing so much seed can reduce the =
amount=20
that a tree grows that year.=20
Fungi=20
04/10/11 After being scalped =
by the=20
Council lawn mowers the Fly Agaric =
fungi are=20
making a comeback. This one was seen under the usual Silver Birch in Area 5 this morning.=20
Amphibians
Coarse Fish
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