Mike's Natural Musings: December 2014

Sunday, 28 December 2014

Plenty of Activity Down at the Feeding Station.

I have enjoyed a few sessions photographing down at the woodyard feeding station since the middle of December. There is constant activity. All the usual suspects are present: robin, blue, great and long tailed tits, chaffinch, dunnock and greenfinch. The odd wren has called in and each visit a woodpecker has been around, although very flighty, so today it was good to get pictures of both male and female. Collared doves made an appearance this morning along with wood pigeons and a pheasant walked through. It was good to see the tree sparrows back this morning, although I didn't succeed in getting pictures. Some pleasing sessions.

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Robin

Blue Tit

Goldfinch

Chaffinch, male

Chaffinch, female

Great Tit

Long Tailed Tit

Great Tit

Collared Dove

Goldfinch

Greater Spotted Woodpecker

Greater Spotted Woodpecker.

Robin

Dog Walking in Walesby Woodlands.

After 24 hours of constant rain and freezing temperatures (but no snow, sadly) we woke this morning to clear skies and a hard frost. An ideal day for taking Jet for a long walk around the woods. Even this afternoon there was still frost and the ground was frozen in parts. An excellent crisp winter afternoon.

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Wednesday, 17 December 2014

First Session of the Winter at the Feeding Station

Although I have been putting food out for the birds at the feeding station for the last couple of months, today was the first opportunity I have had for photography. This was partly because the mild weather during November meant that the leaves stayed on the trees much longer than normal and it was too dark in the plantation. Whilst putting food out, however, there was plenty of activity with blue and great tits, chaffinches, greenfinches and goldfinches all being present in good numbers. There have also been smaller numbers of dunnock, robins, the occasional wren and a couple of magpies. I have seen the woodpecker on one or two occasions and it paid a visit today but didn't stay to feed. Perhaps the most exciting is the pair of bullfinches that have been around; hopefully they will become regulars.

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Blue Tit

Great Tit

Greenfinch

Robin

Dog Walking

Took Jet for a couple of walks recently; one in excellent weather and light to Hubbards Hills on the edge of Louth in the Lincolnshire Wolds and the next day in rather grey weather to Irby Dale also in the Wolds.

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Hubbards Hills

Irby Dale

Tuesday, 9 December 2014

An Excellent few days in the Lake District

As our son Thomas has moved to Ambleside in the English Lake District to study Outdoor Studies at the University of Cumbria, we decided it was time to pay a visit. I have also set myself the challenge of walking all of the Wainwrights (peaks mentioned in the famous books of Alfred Wainwright) in the three years that he is there. Early December turned out to be an excellent choice as both Ambleside and Windermere (where we were staying) were both beautifully decorated for Christmas. We were also lucky in that the Lakes had the first snowfall of the winter while we were there. On our first day Heather and I took things easy and pottered up the Langdale Valley and wandered up to Stock Ghyll Force behind Ambleside before meeting Thomas for lunch and then doing some Christmas shopping.

On our second day Thomas and I did the first of my 36 Wainwright Walks: a round of Striding Edge, Helvellyn, Seat Sandal and St Sunday Crag; some 14.5 miles and 8 out of 214 Wainwrights. Unfortunately this was our only day of totally bad weather so we had very little visibility higher up and it was bitterly cold and snowing on the high tops. To add to the excitement the knife edge section of Striding Edge was very icy. A very enjoyable day nonetheless.

On our third day we drove up to Blea Tarn for some photography in excellent light and then stopped off for photographs of an in spate Stockwith Force.

All too soon it was time to head home but we delayed things somewhat by calling in for the night with friends in Blackpool.

On the final leg of our journey home we were delighted to see at least 30 red kites in the air over Harewood House. What a spectacular sight.

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