Capital Wildlife - 24 hours in London

We spent a night in London after the launch of the Stanley Spencer anthology at Cookham Festival last Friday. We really enjoyed the atmosphere of Camden Lock, with its barges coming and going. 

At one point there was a bit of a splash as this Cormorant touched down. It was a good reminder that London boasts so much more wildlife than the proverbial pigeons, which admittedly were certainly showing in good numbers. 

Two Canada Geese swam round the corner towards us while we were watching the barges.

At this point we caught a bus to the Tower, renowned for its ravens, which on this occasion we failed to see.

We joined the queue for the Thames Clipper, and I was interested to note how much wildlife had been crammed onto this board... I expect some of the species live further up river, near the mouth. I'm sure we all associate the Thames with eels, but photos of the seahorse and water vole caught my eye.

We had to wait for a while, but it was not too long before we were heading upstream to Greenwich...

...where we enjoyed a rather damp picnic lunch beside the Cutty Sark.

• The London Wildlife Trust

Bird List 2014 ~ New Birds Added

I mentioned in my last post that the Great Spotted Woodpecker was the last to hop on to my home patch list for 2013. I forgot to add that a Dartford Warbler was the last bird of 2013 to take a perch in my list for birds seen elsewhere ... in this case at Dunwich Heath.

I have a few birds to add to my 2014 list as a result of a bracing walk at Minsmere ...

Cormorant, RSPB Minsmere, 2014

Blue indicates that the bird was seen somewhere other than on my home patch or at Minsmere.
Yellow indicates my home patch.
Purple indicates Minsmere. 

If you click on the bird names in the list immediately below, you will be taken to the RSPB site about the species mentioned.

1. Bar-tailed Godwit (1 bird, 9 January, Pin Mill) 
2. Barn Owl (1 bird, 12 January, Minsmere) 
3. Blackbird (1 bird, male, leucistic stripe, 8 January, home patch)
4. Black-headed Gull (about 25, 3 January, Woodbridge)
5. Blue tit (2 birds, 2 January, home patch) 
6. Buzzard (1 bird, 11 January, near Eyke)
7. Canada Goose (small flock, 9 January, Wherstead)
8. Carrion Crow (about 20, 5 January, field near Leiston)
9. Chaffinch (2 birds, 5 January, Minsmere)
10. Collared Dove (1 bird, 5 January, up the lane from Minsmere reserve)
11. Common Scoter (1 bird, 12 January, Minsmere) - red conservation status
12. Cormorant (several, 4 and 5 January, Minsmere and Ipswich Waterfront)
13. Curlew (2 birds, 19 January, Minsmere)
14. Dunnock (1 bird, 5 January, Minsmere) 
15. Great Northern Diver (1 bird, 16 January, Alton Water, Shotley Peninsula)
16. Great tit (2 birds, 4 January, home patch)
17. Green Woodpecker (1 bird, 12 January, Minsmere)
18. Greenfinch (7 birds, 5 January, Minsmere) 
19. Greylag Goose (small flock, 16 January, Wherstead)  
20. House Sparrow (4 birds, 12 January, Minsmere)
21. Herring Gull (1 bird, 3 January, Woodbridge) - red conservation status
22. Kestrel (2 birds, 5 January, Rendlesham)
23. Lapwing (9 birds, 4 January, Woodbridge) - red conservation status
24. Long-tailed tit (3 birds, 2 January, home patch)
25. Magpie (2 birds, 2 January, home patch) 
26. Mallard (1 bird, 5 January, Minsmere) 
27. Marsh Harrier (2 birds, 12 January, Minsmere)
28. Moorhen (1 bird, 5 January, Minsmere)
29. Mute Swan (2 birds, 3 January, Woodbridge) 
30. Oystercatcher (1 bird, 16 January, Wherstead)
31. Pheasant (1 female bird, 5 January, Minsmere)
32. Redshank (2 birds, 9 January, Pin Mill)
33. Robin (1 bird, 1 January, home patch) 
34. Shelduck (8 birds, 19 January, Minsmere) 
35. Shoveler (2 birds. 19 Januray, Minsmere)
36. Song Thrush (1 bird, 17 January, home patch) - red conservation status
37. Teal (about 20 birds, 19 January, Minsmere) 
38. Turnstone (15 birds, 3 January, Woodbridge)
39. Wigeon (about 10 birds) 16 January, Wherstead)
40. Wood Pigeon (11 birds, 4 January, home patch)
41. Wren (1 bird, 8 January, home patch) 

Greenfinch, RSPB Minsmere, 2014

Home Patch list for first sightings ...

1. Blackbird (1 bird, male, leucistic stripe, 8 January)
2. Blue tit (2 birds, 2 January)
3. Chaffinch (1 bird, 8 January)
4. Dunnock (1 bird, 8 January) 
5. Great tit (2 birds, 4 January)
6. Greenfinch (1 bird, 8 January) 
7. Long-tailed tit (3 birds, 2 January)
8. Magpie (2 birds, 2 January)
9. Robin (1 bird, 1 January) 
10. Song Thrush (1 bird, 17 January, home patch) - red conservation status
11. Starling (1 bird, 10 January)
12. Wood Pigeon (11 birds, 4 January)
13. Wren (1 bird, 8 January)

First wild mammals of 2014 ...

1. Grey Squirrel (1, 12 January, Minsmere)
2. Muntjac Deer (1 doe, 11 January, Rendlesham Forest) 
3. Otter (2, 12 January, Minsmere)  
4. Rabbit (several, 5 January, Minsmere) 
5. Red Deer (2 does, 12 January, Minsmere)
6. Stoat (1 fleetingly, 12 January, Minsmere)

First arachnids of 2014 ...

1. Unidentified spider (8 January, home patch)  

... and finally, these were my sightings for almost exactly a year ago. 

Seasonal Splash: Flatford and Felixstowe, Snow and Sunshine

This post comprises a miscellany of photographs from our weekend. The welcoming sign below greets you as you enter the RSPB Wildlife Garden at Flatford.

As you can see, there was still some snow around on Saturday. There was also quite a lot of frozen water. The Moorhen below was lifting her large yellow feet very gingerly.

I really enjoyed taking the shot below, and watching the play of light on the water, parts of which were frozen over and parts of which were not. I love the reflections and the small trail of bird prints.

The copse below was looking particularly beautiful ...

I wonder whether these tree roots above are always submerged.

The Mallards were skating around a bit at the water's edge!  

The landscape above reminded me so much of my rural Norfolk childhood. This part of Suffolk is definitely more undulating, but I recall those snowy plough lines with much affection. There were several pheasants about.

Cut ... to Felixstowe, and the container port, where we hoped to see some birds in the vicinity of the Bird Observatory at Landguard Fort. It was bitterly cold on Sunday afternoon, and there were few birds to be seen.

We found a short boardwalk, which led us towards this Cormorant. It was too breezy to hold the camera still, but it seems to me that the bird has an unusually white head. The link here (you will need to click and then possibly scroll down a little) is not about Cormorants in Suffolk, but it explains about some of the white markings that can be seen on the heads of these birds.

There were one or two Herring Gulls around on the shingle, among the Pigeons.

And finally (for now), this was a photo I took at Flatford on Saturday of the Barn Owl as it coursed the field in the fading light.

We have occasionally heard owls back home, but to date, this one below is the only one we have actually seen! Its eye sockets contain small solar panels, which shed tiny beams of light on our garden after dark.

Beautiful Birds (36): Pigeon Dance

Getting ready for 14 February ...

Still time for a spot more preening ...

The Cormorant patrolled this stretch of water ...

... and a small 'iceberg' began to thaw.

Not quite Swan Lake ...

... but an air of snowy tranquillity prevailed on the Ipswich Waterfront.

Beautiful Birds (20): WWT Llanelli

Spring is in the air ... 
                                            

                 ... and the Terns were squabbling, making their presence felt once again. 

The bird was very busy preening ...

... and was quite unaware of my presence.

Here it is, all spruced up for spring.

The willows in the Wetlands are now in full bloom, and birdsong fills the air. 

These Pintail were enjoying themselves on the water ...

... while the Rook seemed quite contented on her nest. 

This Gadwall blended in beautifully with his surroundings. 

Let me know if you can identify this little fellow! Is it a female Tufted Duck, perhaps?

King Cormorant of the Castle!