Great Birds Today!

So, a bright if very cold day, a long walk to be had. I wasn't going to make the mistake I made last time and forget my camera, my proper camera, my big camera, my bridge camera.

It was very worth it. There were a lot of birds at the cemetery and on the Blue Lake today. 30-50 very busy redwing, a goldcrest feeding off a gravestone, the new little egret on its island, and a cormorant sailing by.

The flowers were beautiful too, but more of those later. I'm just glad I've got some ok, if as ever rather soft looking bird shots.

Si

All text and images copyright CreamCrackeredNature 04.02.18

Unusual Visitors on the Lakes

I wore the running shoes again today, but this time it was to go for a walk. I thought I'd take a tour of the two lakes, to see if the cold weather had brought in any winter ducks onto my local ponds.

It hadn't, but there were other oddities to see.

As I started walking around the Balderton Blue Lake, the omens were good. A goldcrest put on one of its best hummingbird impressions in the waterside willows, and a little way round the corner, a flock of long tailed tits - always one of winter's most attractive sites - seeped and zupped among the branches, even the slimmest twigs easily supporting their weight.

ALong the next side of the lake, a flock of canada geese were grazing on the grass, but it was a huge greylag goose that caught my attention first. Even though it was a different species, it seemed determined to show it was the boss, honking loudly like a donkey and puffing up its throat to show its dominance. But after this, I caught sight of a much smaller interloper.

It was a pink footed goose, a bird I have only glimpsed thousands of feet up in their huge skeins.

You'd have thought it would be a rather wary wild bird, but it wasn't. It fed happily with the more domesticated species, and I was able to approach to about 5 metres to take some shots.

Then, after twenty minutes walk to London Road pond, I could see a mile off there were some very large ducks on the water. Although black and white, I was able to tell quickly from the bodyshape they weren't goosander. And no goosander would ever come sailing towards me expecting some bread.

It was a couple of big ugly muscovy ducks, probably escaped from a farm for some R and R!

Si

All text and images copyright CreamCrackeredNature 02.12.17

And it was all Violet

More walking today, so I'm keeping at least physically and mentally active as I wait for my leg to sort itself out. After the rather tepid weather of the last few days, we now have cold and a probable frost with us again, so back to having painful hands on my bike ride to work.

However this has not dissuaded common violet from sticking its head up in the last couple of days - I found these fellows next to Balderton Lake. They remind me of "The Black Flowers" of Gaia legend, that crop up at the end of the must-be-watched-by-all 80s TV thriller "The Edge of Darkness".

Didn't see any coltsfoot though, which is supposed to be the "February Flower"!

Si

Grebe on the Nest

I first noticed the pair of grebes building their nest a week or two ago, the male fiddling about with some long twigs, which he promptly dropped when he saw me observing him. I was surprised it was so close in to the bank of the Blue Lake in such a public spot, rather than in a quieter area around the other side of the lake.

Yesterday, when I was out running, I noticed that the female - I presume - was sitting on but I didn't have my camera. Today, I made a special visit to the nest to photograph her.

She is unflustered, but watchful of the observer although I can't imagine I'm the only person to have papped her in the last day or two as there is no cover for her at all. The island nature of the nest is plainly apparent, but I worry about the vulnerability of its position. It's easily in stone throwing range for any passing "badmen", when it should be a positive opportunity to teach people to respect and enjoy nature, rather than destroy it.

I have no idea when the chicks might hatch, but I hope she produces a good clutch.

Si

All text and images copyright CreamCrackeredNature 09.04.16

Sex Goose

Normally I don't pay a lot of attention to the canada and greylag geese to be found at the Balderton Blue Lake; they are such common birds and not really terribly attractive either. And the mess they leave, sheesh.

However, this extremely virile specimen caught my eye as I made my way round the lake. It wasn't his endless "look at me and my lady" honking, although that was deafening enough, but rather the enormous, python like neck the greylag had. It pulsed, and swelled, and the feathers rose up like hackles forming long lines along his gorge.

This was the most powerful looking goose I'd ever seen. It was also the largest, much larger than the canadas around the lake, and also than the other greylags; it may have had a genetic dose of a large domestic goose.

Certainly his ladyfriend was a snow white domestic goose, and very protective of her he was as well, he always kept himself between she and I - such a chivalrous bird! Eventually they took to the water, where presumably he could find some swans to honk at and show off to.

Or maybe challenge to a wing wrestle.

Si

All text and images copyright CreamCrackeredNature 25.03.16

The Eye of the Fisherman

This afternoon took me through the cemetery and around the two lakes to see whatever I might see.

We are into another transition time in the cemetery. The crocuses and some of the mini daffodils are past their best, and instead we have large patches dominated by squill and primrose. Hyacinth is appearing, and also the first stirrings from naughty spanish bluebell, with their flowers pointing in all directions.

A treecreeper put on a show for me; you'll see photographs of that separately. I hope they are good enough.

The day's top encounter occurred about halfway around the Balderton Blue Lake. I noticed a fisherman with his rod bent in half, landing what was very evidently a rather large common carp. Nothing too unusual about this, although I've never seen anyone land a fish of that size from this lake before, but his method was.

He was a stalker, a fisherman with eyes good enough to see specific fish and target them. He was riding around the lake on a bicycle with his rod ready to go, when he spotted two big carp from yards away while whizzing past. He then jumped down from his bike, attached a lump of bread to his line - no float or weights - cast it over the fishes nose, and watched it take the bait in a matter of seconds. 

He landed it quickly, photographed it himself while kindly allowing me to do so, and had the fish back in the water in under two minutes. Now I have very mixed feelings about fishing, but I could not deny this angler's attention to the welfare of the fish.

He even put it on a sort of fish sofa while he snapped it!

So that was today's exercise, a slightly lazy 8km walk after a slow start. But, it was worth it.

Si

All text and images copyright CreamCrackeredNature 21.03.16

Magnolia. Not as good as next door's

Primrose

Ummmm...pink bluebell

Spanish bluebell

Busy bee

Hyacinth

Sea of squill

Close up

Yellow daffs this side

Like a star

White ones this side

Another star

Town of the dead

Daff avenue

Freshly made seat

Dull reflections

Common carp in the net

Kiss my luscious lips

More school artwork

Newark Academy named as the creator here