A Bitterly Cold Afternoon at Alton Water Park, Shotley Peninsula

It felt as though the temperature was several degrees centigrade below freezing: there was an unforgiving wind from Siberia.

However, we wrapped up warm and ventured out for a short time to enjoy the sunshine at Alton Water Park and Anglian Water reservoir on the Shotley Peninsula near Ipswich. There were several pairs of Egyptian Geese (photo above): we find we are seeing more and more of these.  

 There was a lone Great Crested Grebe swimming and diving, swimming and diving, and looking very streamlined without an elevated crest.

The sunlight was remarkably bright and there wasn't a cloud to be seen. 

 These are some of the Wigeon who were floating near the shore.

 

We checked the tree that usually has good bird feeders, but there was only one feeder today with a few nuts in the bottom. However, as we drove out of this part of the car park, we came across a lovely Song Thrush (thank you, Juliet, for your help here: I often have difficulty telling Song and Mistle Thrushes apart!). 

On such a bitter day, it was good to see some early Daisies, and to remember that spring cannot be too far away - despite the forecast!

I was surprised to find molehills so close to the water's edge, 

but perhaps the damp soil makes digging a bit easier...

In the course of some poetry research last week, I learned that these are not seed cases, 

but rather the globose heads that bear the fruit of the Plane Tree. 

An exquisite downy feather.

If I was a duck, I would hang on to feathers like these until the temperatures rise!

The Egyptian Geese took off...

...but the Wigeon and Coots stayed in their rafts near the shore. 

We walked a little way along the reservoir wall (below), but soon retreated for a more sheltered spot. 

 Here is David before we turned for home...

There was a small flock of birds in a tree by the car: they were in shadow and it was hard to photograph them, let alone see what they were. They seemed too rounded for Sparrows and were not the right shape for Chaffinches. David and I separately came to the conclusion that they might be Redpoll. I have lightened my photo considerably since it was almost a silhouette. Do let me know what you think...

Spring at NT Ickworth (another visit)

We saw three Nuthatches this afternoonat NT Ickworth.

The first one we saw was high up in a tree, but it flew down, and we noticed two others on the ground. 

The Robin attracted our attention with its song ...

Meanwhile, a little further into the park, the lambs were drawing a small crowd. 

Some were curled up at the base of a tree and others were looking alert. 

This pair, presumably twins, walked about in tandem, nudging up against each other as they went.

This little one was the closest to a black lamb ...

Notice the lovely markings on the ewe's face.

We noticed a few Grey Squirrels ...

like this one ...

... who was making the most of its nut. 

You can see the Ickworth rotunda here ...

We have seen an Egyptian Goose here before, and right on cue, this one appeared before our eyes ...

There seem to be quite a lot in East Anglia.

While we were admiring the goose, we noticed a charm of Goldfinches high up in one of the trees ...

The goose seemed to be looking for something, but we did not see a partner on this occasion. 

 There were some lovely clumps of Snowdrops and Primroses ...

This tiny Wren was scampering about on the bark.

On our way out of the park, we noticed an insect enclosure.

The arrows (clockwise from top) show:

• an high rise insect house, ideal for overwintering Ladybirds etc. 
• a path to allow the visitor to observe without disturbing the wildlife.
• a tree (there were several) providing bark in winter and leafy habitats in summer. 
• dry leaves and clumps of vegetation, again for insect homes, but also for food. 
• mossy tree roots, another kind of habitat for woodlice, snails, beetles etc.
• notice boards with beetle and butterfly identification guides.

NT Ickworth - a lovely place for a walk in the spring sunshine!

2013 Wordle 1: Summary of Wildlife Sightings So Far

Wordle of Birds I have seen (UK, largely Suffolk) so far in 2013

I have seen Egyptian Geese, a new species for me, in two locations, Lackford Lakes and Ickworth. This quarter represents my best sighting to date of Goldcrests (at Minsmere) and Barn Owl (Orford and Flatford). 

My early sightings have included a number of strange, possibly hybrid, Mallards, including largely white ones. The Egyptian Goose is really a 'garden escape' as this species was brought to Britain as an ornamental bird for parks and estates.  

Egyptian Goose

Mammals seen to date: Red Deer, Muntjac, Rabbit, Hare, Grey Squirrel ... and Rat. 

Insects seen to date: Ladybirds (two Seven-spots at Minsmere), Gorse Shield Bug (two at Minsmere), Bumblebee (on the wing) ... and a few unidentified beetles and moths.

Wild Flowers to date: Daisy, Coltsfoot, Violet, Aconites, Periwinkle, Dog's Mercury 

'Fishy' things: Skate Eggs, Cuttlefish cuttle bones

Beautiful Birds: Egyptian Goose at Ickworth

We noticed an unusual goose in a Suffolk field adjoining the Ickworth Estate. It was a good distance away and the light was poor, but from these record shots I have been able to identify it as an Egyptian Goose (Alopochen aegyptiacus).

Ickworth (taken March 2012)

This species was brought in to Britain to grace the ponds and parks of our estates. A number of these 'ornamental' geese escaped and bred successfully in the wild, particularly in Norfolk.

Egyptian Geese are now considered a feral species, and in this respect I am reminded of the white farmyard-escape ducks that I saw last month at Needham Market. The white (?Pekin) ducks were interacting with Mallards, and I have just read that Egyptian Geese also interbreed - or hybridise - with Mallards.

I am surprised to find that in certain circumstances (or so it seems) ducks and geese pair with one another. Do take a look at the Hybrid Duck page on the Go Birding site for a photo of an Egyptian Goose x Mallard. You might care to look here for as more detailed page on these hybrids.

I am reminded of Nobel Prize-winner, Konrad Lorenz, and his discoveries of imprinting (also a short YouTube here), the way in which a creature - and the duck and goose apparently are particularly good examples - follows the actions of the first other creature it sees after its birth. You may remember the recent TV footage of the Greylag geese flying after their human surrogate ('imprinted') father.

The Egyptian Goose is apparently related to the Shelduck.

Shelduck (taken in 2010 at WWT Llanelli)

• Theories of Attachment