Deerie me -WARNING Contains Spaiders

Hello strangers! Many apologies for the long silence; work has been absolutely crazy the last few weeks, with 12 hours days the norm & days off a bit of a rarity. Compounding that, it's been a bit of a funny time of year for wildlife in the local area; the summer migrants are by & large departing, but winter arrivals haven't put in an appearance just yet. Vegetation is still very high in most sites, so the few occasions I've managed to get out for an hour or two, there hasn't been a huge amount to see!

On the plus side, I have recently upgraded my main lens to the spanking new Canon 500mm f/4 IS II, so I've been itching to give it a proper test-drive! Thankfully, the last week or so, I've managed to get out and about a little bit & I'm pleased to say it's performing very well!

I spent a few hours one afternoon on one of the local private lakes, watching a pair of Little Grebes fishing. I really enjoy working with these entertaining little birds. The female seems to have a particular penchant for eating newts  - while the male tends to stick to minnows & sticklebacks.' 

Little Grebes

Sadly 'Lonesome George' - a male Great Crested Grebe I've been watching for the last few years, is once again an eligible batchelor. I'd hoped that, after he paired up with a female this spring, he'd succeed in raising a brood. Unfortunately, after two failed clutches, his mate seems to have disappeared & poor George is all alone again. Hopefully, better luck next year.

Lonesome George

I was also pleased to be able to spend a couple of hours watching the resident pair of Hobbies catching dragonflies over the lake at Coate Water - although the site was otherwise very quiet for this time of year.

Hobby

Common Darter (Lunch)

Last weekend, Lou & I spent a few hours in a hide in the Midlands. It's a site where I've previously had good luck with Muntjac Deer, but no joy this time around. For the first 90 minutes or so, a Buzzard was perched close to the hide, which meant that very little was stirring, apart from a few rather handsome pheasants. Once it left, the bird life picked up a little, with a pair of Great Spotted Woodpeckers and one of their juveniles spending some time on the feeders. Although we didn't see any Muntjac, we were rewarded with a pair of Fallow does and their fawns, which were very nice to see.

Fallow Deer - Fawn

Now that some of the hay fields have been cut, it's starting to get easier to see hares again. I managed to get fairly close to one more or less at eye-level through the stubble. They seem to have had a good year - we saw over a dozen in one field, albeit rather distantly. 

Brown Hare

One of my local pair of Little Owls have also had a successful season; I was delighted to spot two owlets out and about on my last visit to their territory.

Little Owlet

This morning, we made the decision to get up mega-early and head down to the lovely RSPB reserve at Arne, on the edge of Poole Harbour. We especially like to visit during the autumn, when the Sika deer are rutting. It's still a little bit too early for that yet, although we did hear a few of their squeaky bellows this morning. We arrived just before sunrise, and spent several hours wandering around the heathland and mixed woodland. An unexpected bonus on the way in was coming across a Nightjar sitting on the entrance road; I'd thought that they would have all made their way across the channel by now. We also spotted a Little Owl flying off a fence by the side of the road. 

Little Owl - Not from Arne

The Sika deer were out in force. We saw around 50 over the course of the morning; although mainly does and fawns/ juveniles. Unusually, we only came across a couple of stags. They seem to be mainly congregating under the chestnut trees, and appreciating the windfall nut mast - as were the multitude of Grey Squirrels! 

Sika Deer - Doe

Sika Deer - Fawn

Green Woodpeckers are also abundant at Arne - although tricky to get close enough for a decent shot. However one did pose quite obligingly for a few minutes on a dead tree limb in the sun's first rays. We also spotted a Wryneck flying through the glade, but couldn't quite see where it had landed. 

Green Woodpecker

It was a good day for raptors, with distant Ospreys out in the channel, Sparrowhawk, Kestrel and Buzzards. On the Salt marshes, we also saw 9 Spoonbill, Cormorants, Little Egret, Shell Duck, Greenshanks, Herons, Curlew and various gulls.

Small birds were also out in force; highlights were the resident Dartford Warblers, but we also saw Treecreepers, a female Stonechat, Long-tailed Tit, Great-Tit, Coal-Tit, Gold Crest, Gold Finch, Chaffinch, Swallows, Housemartins and  Wheatears (in flight).

Stonechat

For me, the invert life was a particular highlight; we found a nest of hornets, which were quite something to watch, as they carted caterpillars and other insects into the chambers at a great rate. I also saw my first Raft Spiders today - a big tick, after several years of looking for them. We saw at least 10 spiderlings (which are still big enough to make most people feel rather uncomfortable!), but no adults today.

Hornets - Trying to be a bit arty

Hornet Nest

Raft Spider

Think that's probably enough for now - I promise not to leave it so long between posts in future! 

Woodland wildlife

We had been half thinking about a trip down to Skomer Island in Pembrokeshire today, to see the Puffins & other nesting seabirds. However, a poor forecast last night, coupled with general over-tiredness & a lack of appetite for a 2am wake-up call found us a bit closer to home this morning. 

After a slightly more civilized start, we decided to head over to a small woodland hide in South Woscestershire. It's usually good for a wide range of woodland birds, and for me, the main attraction is probably Muntjac deer, which are fairly regular visitors.

On the drive across, we had quite a few raptor sightings, including the inevitable Buzzards, several Kestrals and a possible female Red-footed Falcon. We also saw several Jays flying across the road, as we passed through wooded stretches.

While we didn't have any Muntjac during our session today, it was still a pleasant way to spend the morning. I very much enjoyed watching the antics of a pair of Red-legged Partridge, and a rather dapper Pheasant - accompanied by a veritable harem of females. 

Male Pheasant

Red-legged Partridge

Red-legged Partridge

The hide is particularly good for Great Spotted Woodpeckers, and today was no exception. We had a pair, plus an additional female visiting frequently throughout the morning. They seem to be still on chicks at present, as they were taking lots of food off; presumably to their nest. A number of over-ripe pears had been left out for the wildlife, and these seemed to be particularly appreciated by the females.  

Great Spotted Woodpecker

Great Spotted Woodpecker

Great Spotted Woodpecker

Lots of other woodland birds came & went - including Jackdaws, Chaffinches, Dunnock, Robins, Blue Tits, Great Tits, Collared Doves, Blackbirds & Goldfinches. I was particularily pleased to be able to get some shots of a pair of Stock Doves - not an easy bird to get a close view of! They are quite distinct from the more numerous Wood Pigeons when you take a closer look.

Stock Dove

Wood Pigeon

Collared Dove

Lots of Grey Squirrels were busy scampering too & fro, including one rascal who carted a whole apple off by himself. While we didn't get the Muntjac, a rather shy yearing female Fallow Deer did grace us with her presence - although she was clearly very nervous and didn't stay in the clearing for long. 

Fallow Deer

Lou also took the opportunity for a quick bit of garden centre & farm shop retail therapy - always good to keep the editorial staff on side! I'm slightly horrified by the stinkiness of the cheese she has come home with; it may possibly qualify as a new species in it's own right.

This afternoon, I went to check out a Treecreeper nest in one of the local parks. I always love watching these cute little birds hopping up trunks, like little wind-up mice! While I was there, I was lucky enough to see one of the two chicks fledge. The attentive parents were still kept busy stuffing it & it's sibling full of food. Lovely to see it taking it's first steps (or flaps?) into the big, wide world.

Treecreepers

Back from the brink?

Despite a very busy day at work, the beautiful sunny evening yesterday tempted me out for a quick scoot round some of the back roads to see what was around. The hedgerows are all in full bloom, lots of bluebells & wild garlic flowering in copses, and plenty of bird-life zipping around. We took a bit of a different route (well, OK - we got mildly lost!) and ended up in the lanes around Lambourne, where we came across a herd of around 25 Fallow Deer, including several bucks who are just re-growing their antlers. They are still shedding out their shaggy winter coats, so are looking a bit scruffy at present, but always nice to see - especially a couple of melanistic youngsters. We also got some nice eye-level views of a trio of Red-Legged Partridges, foraging on a small village green. 

Fallow Deer

Red-legged Partridge

As usual in this area, plenty of Buzzards, Red Kites and Kestrels to be seen on the way. We made our way home via Aldbourne to see if we could pick up a hare or two. We did get some cracking views, but they were wide awake & very active, so zipped off at high-speed. We also found a small group of the local Fallows, browsing along the edge of a copse - including one of the leucistic individuals. We were also privileged  to get a glimpse of a Tawney Owl hunting in the twilight. It glided back into a copse with it's prey; presumably to chicks? Lou also spotted a Stoat dashing into the undergrowth.

Today, we decided to put the WWT membership to good use & popped over to Slimbridge for a pleasant few hours; mainly as Lou was keen to see some of the wild Common Cranes which have been hanging around the reserve lately. They're one of her rather long list of favourite birds! We'd heard that there was even a pair nesting on the site, but weren't expecting to get more than a distant view through the bins. How wrong we were!

Common Crane

We were surprised and delighted to find that one pair have decided to nest directly in front of one of the hides, so we were able to get some great views of the female sticking her head out of the reeds, as she waited not-so-patiently for her mate to relieve her. We were lucky enough to witness a changeover between the pair, wit the male flying in & cautiously wading across the marsh to the nest. His mate seemed very pleased to get a chance to stretch her wings ; not really surprising - the volunteer observer on duty said she'd been on the eggs for the last 7 hours! They are such graceful birds, it's wonderful to see them getting a toehold back after centuries of persecution and habitat loss. It would be wonderful if they succeed in raising a chick this year; it would be the first known in England for about 400 years!

Crane Pair - at the nest

Crane - on the nest

An added bonus, on the same pool, was a beautiful Spoonbill, in full breeding plumage. We see these birds a lot on our trips to Spain, but this was our closest view of one in England. Also present were a Mute Swan, Mallards, Shellducks, Canada Geese and Greylag Geese. I also saw a watervole swimming across the channel,

Spoonbill

Spoonbill - displaying

There were lots of young waterbirds appearing already all over the reserve - particularly Coots & Moorhens. We saw several real hatchlings, plus some surprisingly well-grown juveniles - all very cute! We also got a good (though not very close) view of the male of one of Slimbridge's pairs of Kingfishers, taking fish into the nest hole for his mate. From the same hide, we also enjoyed watching the antics of a pair of Reed Warblers, and Lou had a great view of a Reed Bunting; shame she didn't bother pointing it out to me! 

Coots - Adult & Chick

Distant Kingfisher

Polchard

Later this afternoon, we decided to check out a new site for us; a local beech & hazel copse, which seemed promising. We saw a lot of Bank Voles, presumably foraging for hazel nuts, so I've got a few ideas for working with these in the coming weeks. Another highlight was a large - and rather noisy - rookery, obviously with lots of young chicks, to judge from the noise!

Hares galore

Being back in full-time employment may help pay the bills, but it doesn't half impact on wildlife-watching time! At least the sunny evenings this week have meant that we've been able to get out & visit a few of the local spots after work, to get a bit of a nature fix! 

Driving around the country lanes through the downs in the hour or so before dusk has proved particularly productive this week, especially for mammals. On Friday evening we had at least 25 Brown Hares within a 3 or 4 mile radius, with up to 8 in the same field. Returning about the same time yesterday, we again saw over 20 in the same area - including one or two very close up. 

Can't see me

Into the sunset!

Both evenings we also saw lots of Roe Deer - approximately a dozen on Friday, and 7 or 8 on Thursday - all in small groups. The females are now looking heavily pregnant- although several still had last year's fawns with them. We also spotted one that had recently given birth as we could hear a fawn calling. Most of them are in the process of shedding their dense winter coats, so are looking a bit moth-eaten at present. However a pair of young bucks were looking quite smart in their reddish summer coats. 
We had a close view of a mature stag - still with velvet on his antlers - grazing with his mate. We  also spotted a trio of young Fallow Deer bucks grazing along the edge of a small copse. Their antlers have still got a fair bit of growing to do - just nubbs at the moment!

Roe Deer - Doe

Roe Deer - Pair (Doe very pregnant)

Roe Deer - Doe (Fawn in the Grass)

Lots of bird life to be seen, too. On Friday, we saw our first cuckoo of the year - although as it was in flight it took us a few minutes to work out what it was! The usual Red-legged Partridge & Pheasants were plentiful - although interestingly I did see a very dark, melanistic female pheasant; possibly the offspring of a blue-black male bird we spotted last year? As usual, plenty of raptors around too; several Red Kites, Buzzards and a pair of Kestrels.

On my day off on Thursday, I spend an hour or two watching the Water Voles again. The babies were out - still very small and surprisingly dark-coloured. It was fun seeing them splashing around, under the watchful eyes of their mum.

Water Vole

I also took a drive around the Aldbourne area, and was pleased to come across the main herd of Fallow Deer - over 45 of them, including one of the leutistic does & tan bucks. It's been a while since I've seen them together in such a large group!

Fallow Deer

Other interesting sightings this week included a Grasshopper Warbler, Pipestrelle Bats and a probable Honey Buzzard (in flight). Lou and Hurley also had a close encounter with one of the local urban foxes last night... it seemed quite interested in Hurley; maybe huskies look like a giant fox?

Woodland and Water Voles

I finally start my new job next week, so I'm making the most of the opportunity to cram in a few more days of wildlife watching while I've still got a bit more free time to spare.

After a frosty night, today dawned sunny and clear, so my friend Tony & I decided to take a run out to Savernake forest to see if we could track down the elusive Lesser Spotted Woodpecker. There are known to be a number breeding in the area, but although I've heard them several times, I've yet to have a really clear view. Today wasn't to be the day either, with no sign or sound of them whatsoever. It was still very pleasant to spend the morning walking through the ancient woodland though, with lots of other wildlife activity. Walking along the main path, we watched a female Muntjac Deer picking her way through the understory.

We saw almost the full range of tits; Great, Blue, Long-tailed, Coal and Marsh -as well as lots of Nuthatches calling & hopping around up in the canopy. We also flushed a pair of Wood Ducks (descendants of escaped birds) from the pond. A pair has bred here a few years back, so it'll be interesting to see if this pair stick around. 

On leaving Savernake, we took a little drive through some of the back roads around Aldbourne. It was a good morning for raptors, with 6 Red Kites, a dozen Buzzards, and 3 Kestrels all spotted in the course of a couple of miles. Lots of Red Legged Partridges scurrying around too. We stopped for Tony to have a looked at a pair of Brown Hares and were both surprised when one lolloped towards him, ending up almost at his feet!

After dropping Tony off, I decided to head out again, this time on the hunt for Water Voles. The population in the local area seems to be holding strong - fingers crossed - and there are several streams and waterways where there's a good chance of seeing them, with a little patience. 

I was rewarded with some good views of this cheeky chap at the second site I checked today. I'm hoping to work with these entertaining little rodents a bit more over the coming months - got a few shots in mind!