Whisby Wanderings

 A trip to Whisby Nature Reserve near Lincoln today. The original purpose of the visit was to try to see the starling murmuration but having spoken to the warden who told me that it had never really got going this winter, we dcided to go earlier for a general explore. In the event we spent most of the day there anyway. We began with a walk around Grebe Lake, returning to the visitor center and cafe for some lunch. For the afternoon excursion we crossed the railway to the northern end of the reserve and visited the large Willow Lake.

Close to the reserve center is Thorpe Lake from which came a cacophany of noise: it is a black-headed gull nesting colony. There were other species around, though, and I was pleased to see and photograph both goldeneye and a great crested grebe which gave spectacular views. There were good numbers of tufted duck on Grebe Lake and I was pleased to see pochard. On the far side of the lake I came across two roe deer; beautiful.

Despite getting slightly lost in the afternoon, we eventually reached the expansive Willow Lake. Although largly distant, there were good numbers of birds, in particular great crested grebes paired up and busily displaying.

On the way back to the car we sat on a bench overlooking Grebe Lake for a rest. Scanning the lake I spotted an oystercatcher and whilst I was watching it a kingfisher flashed across my view; wonderful. Even better it sped back across the lake and perched in a hawthorn hedge. A fitting end to a good visit.

The day was not yet over, however, as we went into Lincoln for a wander around the top of Steep Hill. The light was superb and the cathedral looked amazing. We went for an Italian at our favoured restaurant: Gino's. and before setting out for home I went and took some twilight images of the catherdral.

 

Tufted Duck

Tufted Duck

Silver Birch

Silver Birch

Robin

Goat Willow

Kestrel

Kestrel

Kestrel

Grebe Lake

Great crested grebe

Great crested grebe

Great crested grebe

Gorse

Gorse

Goldeneye

A Taste of Spring on the Local Patch Today

 As I sat with my coffee in the conservatory this morning I was seranaded by the local great tit with its tee-cher, tee-cher call. It was the only persuasion I needed to finish my coffee, don coat, hat and boots and set out for the local cemetery, 5 minutes away. Recently I have been restricting myself to the cemetery and woodland burial ground but today opted to squeeze through the gap in the burial ground fence, negotiate the steeply banked ditch and complete a circuit of Gooseman's Field, known locally as the Horsfield for the horses that are kept on there.

The air was full of the sounds of singing birds and spring was definitely in the air. More flowers appear every day and today daffodils joined the throng. They have been there or there abouts for a while but today I noticed the large varieties as well as the dwarf ones which have been flowering for a few days.

As I walked around the woodland burial ground I spotted what I though was a pheasant in the long grass but it didn't look quite right. It was obviously uneasy at my presence and quickly took to the air; not with the noisy palaver of a pheasant but with the slower wing beats of a buzzard as it flew to a nearby tree where, presumably, it could keep a better eye on me. I saw it again a short while later gliding over the Horsefield. I'm not sure whether it had caught an item of prey, vole perhaps, or was worming.

Having decided to take in Gooseman's I hoped to pick up linnets and skylarks. As soon as I crossed the ditch I could hear and then see linnets. There were several reasonable sized flocks of them making a great deal of fuss with their grumpy sounding calls. There were several singing skylarks as well as I walked around the meadow. One of the benefits of my hearing aids is that I can hear skylark singing again; it was a bird that I had lost as my hearing gradually worsened. I hadn't realised until Heather kept remarking on skylark song that I couldn't hear. There was also a songthrush in full song in the hedge dividing the field from the cemetery; an absolute delight.

On my way back through the cemetery I stopped to photograph the long, waving catkins of the alders, which, not so long ago, had been just a purple haze around the trees. Spring is definitely just around the corner.

Alder catkins.

Crocus

Snowdrops and daffodils

Hazel catkins and the tiny red female flower.

Gooseman's Field.

Gooseman's Field.

Gooseman's Field.

Gooseman's Field.

Gooseman's Field.

New leaves (bread and cheese) on the hawthorn.

Finding a Goosander but Dipping Out on Smew.

 A mild day greeted us today as Brian and I parked in the car park at Covenham Reservoir. We debated weather to coat up or dress more lightly in the higher temperatures, but in view of the strong wind and knowing what to expect up on the banks of the reservoir we opted for fleece jacket and big coat with a hat. Sensible, because, although the air temperature was 18C, with the force 5-7 southerly wind, the wind chill factor made it feel significantly cooler. The battering from the wind made it quite wearing too.

 Notwithstanding this we set out on the 3 mile circuit of the reservoir. Almost the first bird that we saw was a goldeneye; an excellent trophy indeed. A short distance along the first side of the walls we came across a group of three males and a couple of females of the same species. They were quite close, the light was good and the males were displaying to the female - perfect for photography. Typically I had decided to leave the camera at home! Very frustrating, but not the first time I have been taught this lesson. Goldeneye are stunning birds. The males have a black head with a greenish gloss and a large white patch adjacent to the bill. The back is black and the flanks and breast gleaming white with the upper flanks streaked with fine black lines. The female is brown grey and bot sexes have a distinctive yellow eye. The courtship display of the male consists of the head being thrown backwards and then stretched up whilst at the same time paddling with the feet. I might not have had my camera but is was fabulous to have such close views. There turned out to be good numbers and we found 42 altogether.

A little further on we saw in the distance a large flock of lapwing with a big group of smally waders performing fantastic murmurations: golden plovers. Shortly after we met a birder coming the other way who told us of a male goosander that he had seen along with a male smew. The goosander we found amongst a flock of wigeon. It is a large, long-bodied duck with a red bill ending with a downward hook. The head is a dark glossy green, often appearing black. I often see them when we are staying at the caravan on the edge of the Lake District where we find them on the River Kent. Fortunately for my stress levels it was too far away for photography. The smew, however, we didn't find. Not surprising, really as a smallish white duck in very choppy water with white caps is always going to be difficult to spot, and Covenham is a large area of water.

At the end of the walk we had seen 22 species and increased th annual total to 85 species and the monthly one to 62. Last year I managed 165 and 2023 180 so 200 would be a satisfying target for this year.

As the camera was at home, the attached images are from the archive.

Goldeneye, RSPB Frampton

Goosander Male, River Kent, Lake District

Goosander Male, River Kent, Lake District

Goosander Male and Female, River Kent, Lake District

Goosander Male, River Kent, Lake District

Goosander Male and Female, River Kent, Lake District

Goosander Female, River Kent, Lake District

Male Smew Far Ings, 2010

Male Smew Far Ings, 2010

Still Bitter for a Local Patch Walk.

 It was still bitingly cold and only 5C for my walk around the cemetery and woodland burial ground this morning, but the sun did manage to put in an appearance. The steady force 3 breeze from the SE kept temperatures down and reminded my for a second time that I had put on enough clothes.

Again things were quiet on the bird front with today only 15 species but I was pleased to see a curlew on Wintingham school field. I was greatly surprised to see that a hawthorn in the woodland burial ground had opened its leaves. The year moves on by the day. I only had my phone with me for photography and, parr for the course, it ran out of battery just as I lined up to take the shot, so below is one with leaves and blossom from April 2022, a reminder of warmer days to come.

The Sun Finally Comes out for a Walk Around the Cemetery and Woodland Burial Ground.

 The sun finally came out today after days of depressingly grey skies. It was still only 5C, however, and, with a very chill force 3 easterly wind, I had misjudged the layers of clothing I was wearing. It was quiet on the bird front with only 16 species, although it was interesting to ring the changes with dunnock in the woodland burial ground and a flock of linnets over the Horsefield. It was good to see them back after wintering on the salt marsh. I was also pleased to catch a noisy group of sparrows in one the gardens on my way out of the cemetery. Although, I know where I can regularly find them locally, these once common garden birds are rare in my garden.

I am regularly finding plants in flower as the year progresses. Snowdrops have been out in the cemetery for some weeks now but they are still looking very fresh. We have snowdrops in the garden that I transplanted from school many years ago when I worked out at Ravendale, They grow prolifically in the garden there and when the old mobile classrooms were going to be demolished I resued/ some and planted some in the garden. I returned some after the new school have been built but kept some in the garden and they are spreading well now. Primroses, aconites and crocuses are now in flower. It still looks very wintry but with some warm weather we shall hopefully see more signs of spring.

  

Bitterly Cold on the Sea Wall

Keen to see wether access was back along the sea wall at Novartis Ings, after dropping Heather off at the station, I went to have a look. I had hoped to access the sea wall from near the dock but the beginning of the footpath was not in evidence, perhaps blocked off. Instead I drove to the old Novartis plant but the security personel who normally open the barrier appeared not to be there. Twice thwarted I parked the car and walked along the track past The Ings and onto the sea wall. It was only 4C, overcast and drizzling and in the brisk easterly wind, bitterly cold. When I arrived at the sea wall it was blocked between there and the dock; presumably why I couldn't find the start of the path. There were large numbers of shelduck, redshank and dunli and in the distance a large flock of lapwing and beyond them, on the tideline black-tailed godwit were present. The ings were quiet apart from gulls, wigeon, a lone little egret and plenty of gulls. Despite the miserable conditions I saw 24 species.

Photos are from the archive and taken in much more pleasant weather.

 

Humber Bank

Humber Bank

Golden Plover

Novartis Ings

Novartis Ings from the hide