Friday 30 November 2012

Local wander

A superbly clear and sharp morning was too good to miss, so I was out before 8.30. A common buzzard and 2 little owls were seen within 100 yards of the house. A good start. Later 2 goldcrests were found along a footpath along with greenfinch, nuthatch, fieldfare and redwing. A check of some conifers for a possible firecrest didn't give up anything but another half mile or so found me going through a large flock of small warblers. Sadly, all were goldcrests. A kestrel was seen over the golf course and then, as I was listening to skylarks, I heard a meadow pipit call. Photo 1 and 2. A seldom seen bird for the parish. Almost immediately, my eyes were drawn to 3 gulls sitting on the fairway. Common gulls, again, an irregular Little Hadham visitor. (Photos 3 and 4.) A great spotted woodpecker was found in a small coppice (photo 5 and 6.) A male, diagnostic feature being the red on the back of the neck. Photo 7 is a view looking south west from the highpoint of the golf course.
A few fungi were found. Photo 8 could be orange scale head. This is a hallucinagenic mushroom, called big laughing gym in Japan. However, it could be Marginate pixy cap, a deadly poisonous mushroom! The other fungi is an unidentified bracket fungus.
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Monday 26 November 2012

Hadham Hall wander

Quick check around fields east of Hadaham Hall. Usual fare on the lagoon; the 3 little grebes (1 juvenile) + 3 tufted duck, 2 coot and the 3 swans that have been present for a month. The 2 resident barn owls were in their day quarters and a confiding robin was seen. Very little else and a check of the mature conifers gave no views of goldcrest. Photo 1, the lagoon with l'grebe and tufties, photo 2 mute swan, photo 3 robin, 5 an as yet unidentified fungi, but could be The Miller and 4 a jay in the garden earlier this morning.
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Saturday 24 November 2012

Garden watch

An hour watching bird movement in the garden this morning. Good selection of birds: blue tits (6+) great tit (8+) coal tit (3) nuthatch, blackbird (2) jackdaw (20+!) Wood pigeon (3) collared dove (2) dunnock (2) great spotted woodpecker (2, male and female) robin (2) goldfinch (2) chaffinch wrenand house sparrow (8) whilst overhead: carrion crow, magpie, fieldfare, redwing, starling, grey heron, black headed gull, lesser black backed gull, ghreenfinch.
Several photos of the nuthatch, one showing a coal tit, too.
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Friday 23 November 2012

Tesco back to Hadham

A wonderful walk, being very wet underfoot. A common buzzard seen near East Wood, (photo 1 and 2) whilst smaller birds such as long tailed tits, blue tits and great tits were everywhere along with large numbers of blackbird, jay and fieldfare (photo 3 with a GSW.) In fields near Millfield Lane a large flock of mixed seed eaters were found. 20+ yellowhammers (photos 4 and 5) along with 20+ goldfinch, 4 siskin and several chaffinch. More long tailed tits in Acremore Street with song thrush. A black headed gull (photo 6) was seen landing on a flooded field near the River Ash (photo 7.)
All in all a splendid walk: bird list: mallard, cmn buzzard, pheasant, black headed gull, wood pigeon, collared dove, little owl, green woodpecker, great spotted woodpecker, skylark, pied wagtail, wren, dunnock, robin, song thrush, redwing, fieldfare, blackbird, great tit, coal tit, blue tit, long tailed tit, magpie, jay, jackdaw, rook, carrion crow, starling, house sparrow, chaffinch, linnet, goldfinch, greenfinch, siskin, yellowhammer. 35 species in all, a good total for November.
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Monday 19 November 2012

Round up

A while since last posting: a few moths have been seen in the garden trap. Most notably a new one for the garden, a red line quaker (photo 1) along with feathered thorn (2) and december moth (3)
Several walks around the parish have given records of siskins, fieldfare, redwing, huge increase in jay and blackbirds. A trip to Amwell gave views of scaup and red crested pochard, whilst a great grey shrike was found at Rye Meads. At Oare Marshes, new birds for the year were Short eared owl and black redstart. I have given RSPB group talks at Broadstairs, Houghton Regis, Chorleywood and Little Hadham. This week it's Tonbridge and next week a local one in Broxbourne. Several photos of the wonderful colours this autumn.
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Friday 2 November 2012

Typical November moth sp

With regular frosts at present, very little moth movement, but a new moth for the year was the only one at the trap. This was a common species, Sprawler.
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This is me

This is me
At the end of another Norfolk Coastal footpath walk. 47 miles, 3 days 99 species of bird. September 2009

Caley Wood view

Caley Wood view
sunshine through the canopy 29.05.08

A walk along the Warta Valley, Poznan, Poland. Feb 2007

A walk along the Warta Valley, Poznan, Poland. Feb 2007
Best birds on this walk: black and middle spotted woodpecker and short toed treecreeper

About Me

My photo
A primary school teacher for 30 years, I retired from teaching in July 2009 to set up my own science enhancement and communication company. The Primary Works offers science clubs, workshops and staged science shows nationwide. I have always been interested in bird watching since my early years. Apparently my first tick was after inquiring about a chaffinch and then receiving the Observer book of birds. By the age of 9 I had moved on to Tory Peterson's collins guide and was now involved on YOC birding holidays to Northumbria, Essex coast, Slimbridge and Yorkshire. My twitching rule is that I will willingly travel 1km for each gram the bird weighs. However, I have had many rarities just by being in the right place. I have travelled widely throughout Europe and also visited Australia and Sri Lanka. In 2016 I spent time at Portland Bird Obs and two trips to Aviero, Portugal. 2017 found me back in Sri Lanka in Feb/March, then July and back for New Year's Eve celebrations in December. Also returned to The Camargue in May for a 4 day trip. Few plans for 2018, but nothing yet booked apart from a trip to the IOW.

Grey heron

Grey heron
Over the allotment 28.09.08

Southern Hawker

Southern Hawker
Ridge footpath 27.08.08

Juvenile green woodpecker (17.08.08)

Juvenile green woodpecker (17.08.08)
Note the stripes, denoting a bird fledged this year.

common blue

common blue
Ash Valley G.C. 15.08.08

Indian balsam (impatiens glandulifera)

Indian balsam (impatiens glandulifera)
River Ash

azure damselfly

azure damselfly
River Ash 28.07.08

marbled white

marbled white
Discovered at Westland Green 22.07.08

ruddy darter

ruddy darter
Bush Wood 21.07.08

honeysuckle 19.07.08

honeysuckle 19.07.08
growing in hedgerow in Chapel Lane

cinnabar moth caterpillar

cinnabar moth caterpillar
Photographed on ragwort 19.07.08

Bittersweet

Bittersweet
Study of petals 11.06.08

male yellowhammer

male yellowhammer
08.06.08

common blue butterfly

common blue butterfly
06.06.08

River Ash

River Ash
looking south from the bridge at Hadham Ford

Common poppy (papaver rhoeas)

Common poppy (papaver rhoeas)
in rape field 29.05.08

Caley Wood sunshine

Caley Wood sunshine
29.05.08

Millenium Wood fox

Millenium Wood fox
24.05.08

common comfrey (symphytum officinale)

common comfrey (symphytum officinale)
06.05.08 banks of the River Ash

Garlic Mustard or Jack by the Hedge,(Alliara petiolata)

Garlic Mustard or Jack by the Hedge,(Alliara petiolata)
flowers, leaves and fruit edible . Good in salad and pesto

April showers

April showers
Double rainbow 30.04.08

Caley Wood bluebells

Caley Wood bluebells
22.04.08

Yellow Archangel

Yellow Archangel
Chapel Lane (20.04.08)

sunlight 16.04.08

sunlight 16.04.08
looking south west from Bush Wood

snowy buds

snowy buds
06.04.08 in Bush Wood

Looking north west

Looking north west
05.04.08 evening shower approaching

Back Garden

Back Garden
Easter Sunday (23.03.08)

Brick Kiln Hill

Brick Kiln Hill
Looking east (23.03.08)

No play today

No play today
The 2nd hole at Ash Valley golf course

Teasel head

Teasel head
Bush Wood (21.03.08)

Reflections

Reflections
daffodils at Bush Wood pond (21.03.08)

Swollen River Ash

Swollen River Ash
The river at the bottom of Winding Hill 16.03.08

Daybreak over the chapel

Daybreak over the chapel
Thursday 13th March

Wild daffodils (narcissus pseudonarcissus)

Wild daffodils (narcissus pseudonarcissus)
growing in Bush Wood

January snowdrops

January snowdrops
Banks of River Ash, north of Much Hadham

Good Moon

Good Moon
From garden 24.01.08

Village Green

Village Green
Looking east towards Acremore Street

Looking south before Hadham Ford

Looking south before Hadham Ford
rare January blue sky

Useful sites

The following are some useful websites that may interest readers of this blog.
Firstly, Bishop's Stortford Natural History Society http://bsnhs.webplus.net/

Fellow birder, Gary Whelan's blog. Gives reports from our trips out together plus reports from his trips abroad. http://hairybirders.blogspot.co.uk
http://www.hertsbirdclub.org.uk/ The official herts bird club website. Frequently updated, listing bird sightings around the county. Offers links to many other websites. Both of these sites also offer links to yahoo discussion groups.
http://www.birdforum.net/ An international site. You can enter as a guest but become a member( free) to post comments, bird sightings and just about anything to do with wild birds. Good news updates, classified section for binoculars, cameras etc.
http://www.guidedbirdwatching.com/ A new site set up where you can contact people worldwide who will help you find good birds in their country. UK section being set up presently.
http://www.britainsbirder.co.uk/
Fellow birders blog. Strtford resident, Graeme Smith regulary birds the area south of Stortford as well as around Spellbrook and the River Stort from Spellbrook to Twyford Locks. Some superb bird photography: Graeme uses a digital camera attached to his powerful telescope to get detailled images of the birds he sees. Well worth a browse.
Two local sites that may be of interest can be found at
http://www.thehadhams.com/ www.thepelhams.net/content/section/12/139/

South Easterly walk

South Easterly walk
black, normal, red extended walk

South Westerly route.

South Westerly route.
Black usual, red extended

North Easterly walk

North Easterly walk
black short, walk. Red, extended

North West Patch

North West Patch
black route regular. Red route the extended wander