A Wind in the Willows sort of day

This afternoon, Lou & I took a gentle wander through the ancient mixed woodlands of Savernake Forest. Everything is starting to look very green and lush, and the woods were full of birdsong. We spent a very relaxed hour or so sitting on the banks of a small pool, just waiting to see what appeared. We had a pair of Lesser Spotted Woodpeckers calling from the surrounding trees, and got a few glimpses of one of the birds. One day I'll get a decent shot of them! There were also plenty of the usual woodland birds; Long-tailed Tits, Wrens, Pheasants, Great Tits, Chaffinches and Wrens, as well as a pair of Buzzards patrolling across the clearing, and a Sparrowhawk on the hunt. Green Woodpeckers were heard, but not seen today. 

The highlight of the day was the huge number of Common Toads congregating in the pool to spawn. More and more kept creeping out of the undergrowth to make their way down to the water, to join the hundreds already there. I had fun playing with different shots, and Lou was in seventh heaven, as toads have long been one of her favourite beasties. 

Male Common Toad

Reflection of a Male

Female carrying Male to the pool

We drove back towards Swindon through the smaller country lanes, passing several Red Kites and more Buzzards. I was saddened to come across an uncommon Grey Partridge which had been freshly struck by a car. There are only a few pairs of these lovely little birds in the area, and I've been on the lookout for them for ages, so such a shame to come across a dead one. However, at least it proves they are around. 

We also found a very promising looking Badger sett, judging by the freshly dug earth around the entrances. We do know of several other setts in the area, but have yet to find one in as good a location for staking out, so I think I'll be back with a few peanuts in the very near future!

Finally, we stopped off so that Lou could have a look at the Water Voles, as she hadn't yet seen any this year. We got some great views of the male swimming along his stretch of stream and browsing on various reeds and stems only feet away from us. I experimented with trying a few different shots looking through the rushes, but can't quite make up my mind whether I like the results or not. No doubt I'll be back again soon for another go.

If only we'd found a mole, we'd have almost a full house of characters for the Wind in the Willows!

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!