Making the Most of the Outside While I Still Can

I've been out walking for another couple of hours this afternoon, across the Grange Road fields to Hawton village along the drainage ditch. I was hoping to see a kingfisher or egret here, but no joy. I did flush a woodcock however, which hurtled out of the barley and crashed through a hedge with a cry of alarm.

Having not seen any for what feels like an age, it was good to see a few butterflies on the wing today, a very faded small tortoiseshell and a relentlessly fluttering small white both struggling to deal with a fierce wind. But at last it was a warm wind, veering rather more to the south and when the sun was out it was quite pleasant.

What wasn't so good to see that some of the fly tips I reported a fair while back have still not been cleared, while more rubbish has been dropped. A supermarket carrier full of empty cans really ignored me, a driver had clearly dumped that out of their car when there were bins at a corner shop about a hundred metres away. Senseless!

Something else that is happening out and about is building. A new relief road to the A1 has been started, hopefully flying over the Sustrans 64, and so many bits of land are having houses crammed onto them. Some are hilarious, a row of three cramped cottages at the back of the old Wing Tavern have so little natural light, and seemingly no gardens either, it's going to be like living in a cave. Another house near the back entrance to Beacon Hill Reserve seems to be being built in a crater, and other large scale developments that have sprung up around Newark have all the charm and quality of 1970s apartment blocks in East Berlin.

Soon the new expansion of Newark south of the town will start colonising the fields like barnacles. I wonder how many of my running routes will be blocked off?

Si

Text and Images Copyright CreamCrackeredNature 01.06.15

Gardeners have been busy in the cemetery

Grange Road fields

Devon Pasture

Devon Meadow

Tainted blossom

Canada flotilla

Bee explores its own little sun

Another bee feeds off ragwort

Ooh look! Another ghost sign

This was at the library and I found it rather eerie

Butterflies in Willow Holt

Busy writing today!

Went running out to Willow Holt today, on a half sunny, half cloudy but warm and humid day. I was figuring after seeing a Southern Hawker by London Road lake there might be a bit more interesting life about with the warmer temperatures, and so it proved.

The meadows at the entrance to Willow Holt, especially at the Bramble bushes round the second gate, was busy with Butterflies - mainly Ringlets, but a few Meadow Browns and lurking close to the long grass and the bramble leaves, these citrus yellow moths - possibly looking at google Brimstone Moths, were very numerous.

On the part of the Holt next to the river, a large dark dragonfly whipped over my shoulder, no idea what and I never got near enough for a good look. It was Hawker sized, might have been a Brown Hawker I suppose. But further round, by the corner of the river near the power station, lots of Banded Demoiselles were flapping about, looking like insect X wing fighters actually, very erratic wingbeats compared to other Dragons and Damsels, they fly more like Butterflies.

And on the private path past the Bypass bridge, a Common Tern, tail deeply forked, was working the river, another great sight after a very pleasant run!

Lance Armstrong Birding

Cycling home after a miserable, sticky day in no-aircon work decided to detour on the lovely evening along the river. An unfamiliar bird suddenly shot above my heads as I passed the lock - a brief glimpse of black and white wings, a wader shape rather than duck shape I reckoned, and emitting a furious "peeping" noise as it went overhead.

I'll punt at Oystercatcher, never seen any by the river, but they are certainly at Langford Lowfields, these feistiest of waders.

Later was out on the bike again, Hawton, Farndon, then home. Many swifts out and about in Farndon, many of them over a paddock, screeing away presumably horses attract large amounts of insect life.

Wanted to have a look along the Devon for Dragons, but a bunch of ne-er do wells were in the way! A bit further on a drug deal was taking place in some parked cars. Charming what you can find out in the country!

But it was a lovely evening for a cycle!

Watership Down Apocalypse

I've just come back from a very very pleasant evening run, the low sinking sun even deigned to make an appearance, that bright yellow thing about as rare to the eye as it was in April.

The owner slash leaseholder of London Road lake has been complaining in the local newspaper that waterfowl and fish have been poached from the lake - this is the same guy who put up "Don't Eat the Swans" signs a few years ago aimed at the local Eastern Europeans - and I have to say the lake has been bereft of its usual mallard populations. But I'm not seeing many Coots, Moorhens and Canada Geese either, it could be poaching, it could be a lot of birds are nesting in the reeds.

A few swifts about, not many swallows. House Martins have a few nests on the Chinese Restaurant at Beaumond Cross!

What is about, on Beacon Hill Reserve, are rabbits. Huge numbers of rabbits, more than I've ever seen. Most of them clocked me a long way off, and suddenly 50-60 white backsides were high-tailing it for the copses on the reserve boundary. Many are very young kittens.

I'm very surprised not to see more raptors hovering overhead, or startled a prowling fox. Because there are a lot of pies running about out there!

Beautiful Buzzard

Work is a miserable place, a place of cardboard dust, despondent faces and the mental stench of the willfully ignorant.

But today, as I sneaked into the reserve canteen for a stupid paper cone or three full of water, I saw the familiar fuzzy "Y" shape of a Buzzard soaring.

Only it wasn't soaring, it was too damn cold to find a thermal, the air kept seeming to give way under its wings, so it had to repoint its wings, and turn head on into the wind and actually flap and hover like a kestrel until it tried soaring again, flying in wide spirals but barely gaining any height before going back to hover into the wind.

Eventually, after five minutes, the sun started to come out, and the bird was now repeating this routine much closer to my window. It flew downwind, and I get a fantastic view as it turned and swooped close to the window, white blaze on it's chest and under its wings. And then, it found the thermal, and it spiralled up like a glider.

The only thing that has been worthwhile about the day!

I bore the Serpent and tamed the Wild Duck

My runs lately have not produced much in the way of excitement apart from beautiful clouds of swifts and the odd butterfly - my broken bicycle (now fixed) prevented hoped for excursions to Langford, and Rutland Water at Whitwell is a bit sterile.

Dragonflies just not showing around here at all! Broad Bodied Chasers in swarms down south by the sound of things, nothing at all here yet!

Two nights ago, had a great nights astronomy observing when arriving home at 2am and finding a decently starry night in progress - the first quarter moon low, and the twilight not yet disturbing the North-West. Out with the 10x50s and a cider.

Despite this, the moon prevented sightings of Messier 5 and Messier 3 - there was a little bit of high cloud about, and a bit of general smoggy town haze too. However, Ophiuchus occupied the gap between the Oak and the Sycamore, and I was able to pick up IC4665 faintly near Beta - Cebalrai. But further East, near a quadrilateral of I guess 6th magnitude stars, was a more compressed looking hazy unresolved open cluster. Later investigation revealed this to be NGC 6633 near the border with Serpens Caput.

I thought I picked up another cluster further east, a fainter smudge. There is an IC cluster around there, may have been that but need darker skies to confirm.

Having another look for Messier 5 I didn't find it, but came across a very orange red star that kept catching my attention, maybe the K class Alpha.

Had another doomed look for Messier 57 and 56 in Lyra, but just about got Messier 71 in Sagitta with averted vision. A treat here was the coathanger in nearby Vulpecula - so prominent! and strangely cute! It's a bit of an upside down coathanger.

Finally, getting a bloody tree out of the way, got a glimpse of Messier 11 The Wild Duck in Scutum! Low, so not as impressive as I expected, although I wasn't expecting wonders. The glorious milky way down south, which I have seen in 7x50s in the South of France, is never going to show well from my house, nor the things in it.

But I still enjoyed looking, and always will.

Rutland Water

Family trip out today to spend an afternoon sitting in some pleasant weather at the Whitwell area of Rutland Water - no trip to the reserve further down the lake alas. Not much bird or wildlife though, and not a butterfly to be seen! Swallows, crisp loving and amusingly squabbling mallards, a few black headed gulls and a cormorant looking for trout on the water.

Sadly, no sign of any of the famous Rutland Ospreys this far up the lake. And on a week day, not many pretty boats and I forgot to buy ice cream. Luckily I had already bought a huge tub at home!

Yesterday had an 8 mile run, along the cycle path where a male orange tip seemed to be being pursued by four pure white females; and back into Balderton along the lane at the back of Flowserve, the one with the lovely eggs for sale! Hawthorn in bloom, sparrows and chaffinches in the hedges. And here I saw my first Specked Wood of the year along here, and there's some Birds Foot Trefoil around now.

 London Road lake has its lonely Grebe, I'm sure it had a mate a couple of years ago! No ducklings on view.

Beacon Hill park is quiet, the flowers late, not many butterflies on view yet here. No Sand Martins on the river, nor many swallows, but screeching swifts are ever present.

And ever beautiful.

The Madness of Running in this Heat

So yes, two consecutive days I dragged myself out in the heat of the afternoon, and did two seven or so mile runs, sweating like a pig, struggling to breathe, drinking desperately from a plastic bottle of Morrisons "Isotonic" Cherry drink.

It is probably as much use as licking a block of concrete in fitness terms, but it does taste rather nice.

Most life is keeping in the shade apart from Swifts, which are just full of happiness at the moment, making me more envious than any other bird that I cannot fly; that I am an earthbound clodhopper. Butterflies about are mainly various whites and orange tips, with the odd Brimstone still around.

Clay Line is now passable and full of blooming Hawthorn, and Beacon Hill reserve is now dry too. It's the time of year for taking a picnic up there.

The nices things I've seen though, well those 6 little fledgling Great Tits being fed by their parents in my Holly Tree. Heaven knows where they get these endless green caterpillars from that I never see.

And my folks garden has some tiny fledgling Coal Tits in it! Schlurping up aphids, feathers barely out of pin and calling for their parents with a piercing "tsee-tsee-tssee-TSEEE-TSEEE" cry, gradually raising in volume and pitch.

So pretty!

A Hot Day at RSPB Langford Lowfields

Today, I got on my bicycle and headed out for Langford Lowfields on what I knew would be a beautiful day.

At last!

And old chap with a biycle told me that he had seen a couple of buzzards overhead shortly before, but typically I missed the raptors as I always do, so I thought.

Reed Buntings were in evidence by what I think is referred to as Phase 2

Arrived at the hide, settled in, and had a look round. The feeders were quiter than my march visit, but during my time today, Greenfinch, Goldfinch - beautiful in my 10x50s - Chaffinch and Blue and Great Tits all paid a visit.

At all times, the hedgerows, Hawthorn bloom rampant, were alive with birdsong. The most distinctive was a throaty, crackling rasp - god only knows what that is.

Out on the very sparse looking reedbed, it didn't look like whole lot was happening at first, but close inspection and patience was rewarded. The most obvious residents are the big Canada and Greylag Geese, the obligatory mallards and a large population of Cootes. But in the distance, behind a pair of swans, a Shelduck, the first I have seen here, was crusing the waters.

Black and White flashes in the sky seen naked eye, revealed themselves to be a number of lapwings with their distinctive broad wings and tumbling flight. The two buzzards eventually appeared flying towards the river at the north end of the site, and flocks of sand martins continually worked the reed bed south to north.

But the most exciting sight gave itself away when a bug immature herring gull came over. As I followed it in the 10x50s, a black and white sleepy bird I had assumed to be ye olde Tufted Duck suddenly erupted off a sandbank, and went for it making a furious piping alarm call. It was joined by another, and plain as day, the giveaway angled black and white wings and long red bill of a pair of oystercatchers.

They are fierce!!! A black headed gull got savaged a little later, and as that Herring Gull found out, they will take on anything no matter how much bigger.

I figured that there must be a nest with eggs, and could see where one oystercatcher was carefully sitting. Eventually it went probing in the mud, dirtying it's scarlet beak in the process, and yes, I could see a chick!

A lovely visit, although not so for the young rabbit on the path with it's throat torn out.

Tonight the swifts are all over Newark, screeching with the joy of flying

Poplar Woods, Hawton

Yesterday, I ran out to Hawton Village and into the Forestry Commision site at Poplar Woods, Hawton;

http://www.flickr.com/photos/matthewbradley/6195979486/

And basically tried to run round the whole thing! It's huge, a bit boggy, evidently well churned up by horses, and didn't really find very much to look at apart from a Buzzard circling the regimented rows of Poplars. But it felt a little bleak. The signs of life came when you got away from the wood, running alongside the fields of rape where the Yellowhammers erupt from hedges.

The fishing lakes at Cotham end were alive with Swallows, flocking above the water or swooping low above the yellow flowers. Pretty.

Pretty knackered, was I when I finished this Eleven Mile run. But, Cream Crackered Nature is what this blog is called, and getting cream crackered is what I do to bring you content, dear readers.

Pink and Blue

Taken while running around Poplar Wood, Cotham and Hawton

Buttercup field at Farndon

Took this while on an 8 mile run by the River

Fledgling Great Tits

Just caught 6 Fledgling Great Tits being fed in my Holly Tree. Massive zoom on mobile phone, so not a great pic. But they were very cute

Swifts and Twittering things

Couple of nights ago, headed out for another 830pm twilight run, and though I was going like the Fire Stallions of the movie Krull, I was still able to see that the evenings are bringing out more and more Swifts in town at the moment, especially where there is water.

They have been over the cycling path at the bottom end of London Road lake, as always effortlessly carving the air into strips a molecule wide. There was a small flock over the river too, eating the midges that tormented me as I thundered along past the barges I wished I had, swooping low over the water.

The sun sank beneath the horizon, painting the sky cordial orange, and venus twinkled upon me and the swifts as I ran back home.

And then at work, a new bird seems to be paying a visit. There are small flocks on the wastelands by the A1 of finch sized birds, that like to fly about making a high tweeting sound as they fly, flocks about 10-15 birds.

Caught a glimpse of one on a fence post, a brief sighting of a black face and a reddy orange breast. In flight I noticed a pronounced white stripe along each side of the tail. Am I seeing Stonechats?

Might well have been! That would be a first round here in Newark!

Willow Holt via Horse

Having seen the Countryfile report last night on horse neglect, was rather supset to see a piebald mummy horse standing motionless over her dead foal. Never so much as moved its head as I ran along the old A46 Farndon Road.

I was out looking for butterflies and dragonflies at Willow Holt. Of the latter I saw neither, but as soon as I turned into Farndon, I saw whites and Peacocks taking in the decent, and rarely decent at that, weather. Willow Holt entrance was a bit boggy, and the Meadow Browns that live in the...er...meadows are not about yet. But along the river stretch, I saw more Peacocks, Whites and a few Orange Tips.

Orange Tips by the way are a lot less numerous than last year.

On the river stretch of the Holt, I saw a Blackcap sat on a stumpy looking tree and I think a Sedge Warbler dived into a waterside bush as I went by. The power station stretch seemed very bleak, a couple of herons kept an eye on me as I went by.

As I ran back along Farndon Road, I noticed a public footpath leading to the river I've never been on before. And it was a boggy field leading to your typically barren river bank maintained by a fishing club. The only fisherman around though was a Cormorant...

A few Swifts, House Martins and a single swallow were seen on route. Swifts were swifting by my home too. They are so fast in the air.

Fast and beautiful.

Bicycle Nature

So today, I've been off the running and cycling exclusively...

...so far. The day is not yet done...

But anyway, I headed off through Balderton and over the A1 to Hollowdyke Lane. No butterflies to be seen along here though, in past years there have been many many orange tips along here, today, as I cycled past fields of rape in bloom, nothing.

The building work at Fernwood has hacked some of the curious derelict charm of the old mental hospital site, and although the iconic tower remains, it is swamped amongst characterless boxes, and ugly piles of soil splotch the landscape. And the iconic Lightning is gone, making all that scrapyard area devoid of any redeeming feature.

Barnby Lane, swallows! A beautiful  specimen sat obligingly on a telegraph wire for me to sit and have a chat to; on behalf of the town I welcomed him to the area. In a fallow field nearby, a lapwing seemed to be doing a "Wounded Flight"  - taking off and sort of plummeting erratically. Nesting bird startled by a falcon? Or even my bike?

Still no swifts or martins in town, and aside from a couple of fluttering small whites spiralling around each other, no butterflies.

The river and castle looked stunning on my evening ride, but not sand martins or swifts to be seen.

Now about that run...shall I go?

Swallows and Hospitals

Went running at noon, not for any great weather or wildlife purposes, but actually to see the local "Hug a Hospital"  campaign in action.

I ran past the hospital three times, folk doing the hugging thought I'd gone crazy. First time round saw a couple of swallows fly overhead at the bottom of Boundary Road - the first I'd seen in town. Awkward head craning revealed still no swifts, and still no nesting Sand Martins - they are late by the towns standards.

By my second visit, the huggers had linked hands around the bits of the hospital I suspect they were actually allowed to link hands around, accompanied by BBC cameramen and local photographers. But 20 minutes later, they were all gone, point made, stakes pulled up, vanished into the night. But my mother was treated for heart failure there, and I'm glad they did what they did.

Wildlife not about so much today, saw three coromorants in formation from the museum cafe window though, an unusual sight. I wonder if the fishing was good?

A Semblance of Spring

Sun was out this morning, and it was still out an hour later when I managed to put my book down and I get out of bed.

It may be bright, but it isn't very warm, and spring can't be bothered to be sprung with all this rain around. However, as I ran past a very empty looking Balderton lake, a couple of House Martins flew over the cycle path, my first of the year.

And so far, only ones.

Around the path and British Gypsum, where I turned off onto the road past the open cast mines back into Balderton, were my next first for the year - Orange Tip Butterflies! Plenty of other folk have seen them very early this year, and they were everywhere this time last year, but butterflies are very sparse at the moment. Saw a couple of Whites of some kind, but that's about it.

Long tail Tits were also about today, and Chaffinches, but London Road lake was empty. A nervous looking lady mallard with three drakes! Everything else must be nesting in the reeds I think.

No swallows or Sand Martins at the river, no swifts overhead anywhere.

The town is short of non human life at the moment!

IDENITFY - What is this flower

Grows almost like a Gorsey kind of hedge in my postage stamp garden. The House Sparrows love it, they spend endless hours squabbling and mating within it.

Out on the roads

So, a couple of excursions in the last few days. Tuesday was the nicest afternoon I've seen in about 3 weeks, so I headed out on the bicycle for ten miles doing the "Tour De Rubbish Tip", out on the cycle path, back in through Hawton.

It was a nice ride, past the big solar energy farm, and past fields now fully resplendent in ripe oilseed rape. Greenfinches are about in larger numbers, goldfinches too. Pigeons are loving each other, cooing lovebirds atop the telegraph poles and lamp-posts. Still no swallows, house or sand martins. And swifts are non existent, according to an article I read in the Times yesterday.

Ran yesterday for 7 or so miles, out to British Gypsum and then through Balderton, the nature reserves are very boggy at the moment so I'm sticking clear - last time I was at Beacon Hill there was a very large lake at the industrial estate entrance, surprised not to see ducks on it!

I can't wait for fine weather so I can head out to Langford Lowfields again. I want to see butterflies. I want to see Dragonflies. I want to be outside.