Kingfisher Watching - A Walk in the Park

I recall the thrill of seeing my first Bittern from the Bittern Hide (where else?) at RSPB Minsmere. It somehow seemed that bit too good to be true. Then we saw Adders on the Minsmere Adder Trail...

Well, last weekend we paid a quick visit to Holywells Park in Ipswich, and there in the watercourse, by a sign illustrated with a Kingfisher was... a Kingfisher! It was a fairly elusive bird, but as you see, we managed to get a few record shots. I hope we can return with more time. My thanks to David for his photo immediately below. 

There were other creatures about, including the Mandarin duck in the next photo. The stark contrast between light and shade reminded us that we are past the equinox, and already in the season of shorter hours of daylight.

Out in the open at the top of the park there was some real warmth in the sunshine. My eyes alighted on this fluffy mass...

I guess it may be a spider nest, or cocoon, perhaps belonging to a species like the Golden Orb Weaver.

If my hunch is correct (and I have yet to test it out on iSpot), the spiderlings will eventaully disperse by the method known as 'ballooning'. 

It was good to see a fair number of bees about on the colourful plants. 

 

This is the recently renovated Orangery...

These reflections are largely green, but it will not be long before the colours turn to those fiery shades of autumn (or those misty, mellow ones if you prefer the description offered by Keats...). 

Meet Mabel the Tawny Owl

I had seen several posts about Mabel the Tawny Owl, but when we visited her tree at the weekend, she was not at home. I returned to the park this afternoon, reckoning that she might be sitting (well, sleeping) out in the sunshine after the stormy nights. And, as you can see, my visit was rewarded. 

Mabel has been in the local news recently, as you can see here. 

Mabel produced an owlet in 2012, which you can read about here.

Reg Snook has written a book about her.

This is Mabel's fifth season in the park.

A Splash of Mandarin ducks (Aix galericulata, Linnaeus 1758)

I had read that there was a pair of Mandarin ducks in a local pond here in Suffolk, so when we were there on Sunday afternoon, we kept a sharp eye out for these. I had a feeling we were not going to see them, but after a careful survey of the scene, I noticed something bright in the undergrowth on the bank of a small island in the water. I don't know whether the female's beady eye would have caught my attention, but the iridescent shades of the male were unmistakeable.

Aix galericulata, Linnaeus, 1758

I remember these characterful birds from my childhood when we would go to see the ducks at Bradbourne Lakes, designed originally as features in an ornamental landscape. Sadly it looks as though these lakes are now in trouble, but I recall many happy expeditions to see Tufted Duck, Mallard, Shelduck, Moorhen and Black Swan. Tragically Bradbourne Lakes were polluted in 2012 when a company or individual poured a large quantity of oil down a drain.

These fabulous birds are very loyal to their mates. They feature in oriental poetry, such as a poem by the Japanese writer, Tachibana Akemi (橘曙覧, 1812-68), in which the speaker looks out with his partner on a snow scene of these ducks.

You can read more about these birds on the website of the Wildlife Trusts here and on the BirdGuides site here.

The short bill is spatula-shaped. The white tip is called a nail. The male's orange ruff comprises small feathers called auriculars on account of their proximity to the ear. 



I love the seemingly abstract colours and shapes!

This species is not considered under threat, but how tragic that only 1000 pairs now exist in Russia and China due to environmental issues such as deforestation. The ancestors of many of today's Mandarins here in Britain were originally bred in captivity, but became what we might call 'garden escapes'. 

A Lull in the Weather ~ a Stroll in the Park

After a stormy night, the weather cleared a little on Sunday afternoon
so we visited one of our local parks.

There were a few Mallard ducks and Moorhens on one of the main ponds.

This Cormorant had deserted the coast or waterfront in favour of easy pickings. 

There were also quite a few Black-headed gulls. 

The sunshine brought the Grey Squirrels out into the open,

foraging for their buried food supplies.

Suddenly we spotted a small flock of Redwing. 

These winter migrants breed in northern regions of Europe and Asia,

but arrive in the UK in small flocks.

Speaking of winter migrants, we had read reports of Waxwings in our area,

but we failed to find them.

This white bibbed duck (above) may be a hybrid Mallard,
although when I thought I saw one last time, 

hybrid expert Dave Appleton told me
that he felt the duck I had seen on that occasion 

was 'simply a domestic variant of Mallard,
not a hybrid between a Mallard and any other species.
Domestic Mallards come in a bewildering variety
 of sizes, shapes and plumages.' 

So many thanks to Dave,
whose 'hybrid duck' photos can be viewed here. 

The Mallard drake above was doing a spot of preening ...

... before setting sail across the pond with his mate.

There was a photographer keeping a close vigil on this corner of the pond,
and if you follow the red arrow above, you will see why.



Every so often a rat would emerge from one hole or another ...
and the one in the photo below took to the water for a swim. 

Members of the public have been asked to refrain
from feeding the ducks in this pond
because the scraps of bread and suchlike
prove particularly attractive to the rat population.

 

Postscript ...

Having checked out the photos on Dave's Domestic Mallard pages here, I'm pretty sure that the bibbed duck above is much the same as the one on his site from South Creake, Norfolk.