Thursday 31 December 2020

Saved by the Dung Heap!!

 Bit of Deja Vu going on at the moment as once again I take Margie to work, then head out local ,this time north of the village, the footpath behind Kemps leading across the field is muddy as! In the morning gloom I struggle to find any birds this is mainly because there doesn't appear to be any in the strangely silent hedges and also I'm concentrating on staying on my feet and not drowning in the very deep puddles, the only birds I saw between Kemps and the furthest hedge were a couple of Magpies ,a single Redwing and a couple of Fieldfares๐Ÿ˜ฒ However at least the Redwing posed for a few seconds!!


Redwing in the gloom, a tribute to my Camera really this came out as it was so gloomy I wasn't actually sure what it was in real time!!
So things were pretty desperate all my hopes were resting on the Dung Heap, sad when all your dreams rest on a large pile of crap!! this must be what it's like to support Man U (you can insert the team of your choice here really. I chose Man U cos I'm a Leeds fan and we've finally got a decent team so I'm singing whilst we winningish in the full knowledge that give it a couple of Months/Years we will be back in the doldrums, when you have been supporting them for 50 years you take your chances when you can , c'mon the Mighty Whites!! MOT)๐Ÿ˜๐Ÿ˜๐Ÿ˜๐Ÿ˜๐Ÿ˜ฒ๐Ÿ˜ฒ๐Ÿ˜ฒ๐Ÿ˜ฒ๐Ÿ˜ฒ I considered putting Ipswich Town as Margie supports them but in their current situation would have felt like bullying๐Ÿ˜๐Ÿ˜
Anyway back to the Dung Heap, this was steaming away  nicely and there were a few birds knocking around a couple of Meadow Pipits flying about, Blackbirds, Dunnocks, Small flock of 4 Goldfinch, a Song Thrush there were at least 6 Robins present unusual because they are generally very territorial but I suppose with the cold  they will tolerate each other to enjoy the resources provided by the Dung, though there were a couple of Scraps whilst I was there.

Goldfinch

Goldfinch

Robin

Robin

Robin

Song Thrush

Dunnock

Steaming Pile!!
As I stood quietly the feeling of Deja Vu grew stronger as like yesterday a Fox appeared and ran across the field below the heap a bit distant but nice to see!!

Fox

Fox

With frostbite setting in I decided to abandon the Dung and headed down the footpath opposite, In the large Trees lining this path even more Deja Vu another flock of Long-tailed Tits and just like yesterday and the day before my pictures of them are crap!! At least it's showing that at least some birds are doing ok with a minimum of 3 different flocks of LTT in the Hurst area,I think they are different flocks as firstly the distances involved would make it being the same flock unlikely and the make up of the flocks are different with Tuesdays being mainly LTTs and Goldcrests, yesterdays being a about 50-50 LTTs and other Tit species and todays being mainly LTTs with a couple of Blue Tits and a Great Tit although I thought I heard a Marsh Tit calling briefly as well but I couldn't locate it with the bins or camera.(may have been wishful thinking!) On all three days, in all three flocks, the buggers managed to pretty much avoid being photographed to any decent standard by me!!!

LTT

LTT

LTT

LTT

Blue Tit
I was also able, from this point able to continue my series of pictures of Hurstpierpoint Church from different angles you will be thrilled to know ๐Ÿ˜

Hurstpierpoint Church

Hurstpierpoint Church
The path headed over the A23, on a bridge you understand, I wasn't playing chicken with the surprisingly high volume of traffic!!Just before I got there a Pied Wagtail flew over my head and landed in the field in front of me, strutted about for 10 seconds then flew off!! Random!!

Random Pied Wag!
The other side of the bridge there was a nice tree with Catkins which is the sort of thing Margie likes to take pics of so in her absence I did me best, the path looped around and went down the side of a small wood, I heard quite a few birds in here GSW, Nuthatch various Tits etc but saw little accept a Song Thrush and a couple of Great Tits so abandoned the route and headed back towards the Dung Heap!!In a further enhancement of the Deja Vu theme at this point I spotted a Buzzard in a distant tree, just like the last 2 trips oooohhh spooky also took a picture of a Spooky tree as well!!!

Catkins

Catkins

Great Tit

Spooky Tree

Song Thrush

Sun trying to break through

Buzzard

Buzzard
I resumed my vigil at the Dung Heap ,can't believe Margie missed this๐Ÿ˜‚๐Ÿ˜‚!! She loves Dung Heaps although think sewage farms are her favourite birding location!!๐Ÿ˜ฒ I managed to get a few pictures of a few of the species I missed before but nothing different appeared accept a lone Fieldfare sat in the grass which I initially thought was ill but it eventually flew off seemingly ok.

Fieldfare

Robin

Meadow Pipit showing long hind-claw 

Pied Wagtail 

Pied Wagtail

Song Thrush

Dunnock

Blackbird

So that was about that, headed home via Langton Lane rather than the mudbath across the fields, heard a Bullfinch and had brief views of the disappearing White Rump as it plunged into the hedge never to be seen again. This was the only Finch species I saw today except for 4 Goldfinches, no Chaffinch, Linnet, Greenfinch let alone a Brambling. didn't see any of the farmland species you might expect Yellowhammer, Reed Bunting ,Corn Bunting or Skylark, not hard to see why the Hedges slashed down to barely waist high, no field margins left not a stubble field to be seen when I bump into people on my walks people often say how lucky we are to live in such a beautiful area well it may look pretty but the wildlife is ridiculously hard pressed everything tidy no rough areas left for wildlife, let's hope that one good side of Brexit be that farming subsidies are given to the farmers out there that want to help nature, they do exist, rather than just dished out to the industrial ones who seem intent on destroying it with flail and spray. Remember we can do our bit BUY ORGANIC food on average there is 50% more wildlife on organic farms so spend the money, pay the true cost for our food and support those farmers!!

Anyway sermon over HAPPY NEW YEAR everyone including Man U fans and especially to both my readers and all 5 of my followers!!!

Ps

On arrival home I had another visitor to the Garden no not the Sparrowhawk a very nice Song Thrush which took advantage of the numerous berries on our Ivy a much maligned plant that was covered in insects in the summer and whose berries have been providing food for a number of Woodies,several Blackbirds and now a Song Thrush as well as shelter for a host of small birds, indeed today with the Starlings, Sparrows, Blue Tits, Robin, Dunnock, Great Tits and Collared Doves I've nearly seen more birds sat here on the sofa in half an hour than I did in my 2 and a half mile trek around the wastelands of Hurst coutryside!! Pics of the Thrush and Starling below taken from the sofa through Glass which suggests I should spend less time birding and more time cleaning the windows!! ๐Ÿ˜‚๐Ÿ˜‚๐Ÿ˜€ Probably don't mention that to Margie
And the bloody suns out now as well!!

Garden Song Thrush with Berries (through Glass)

Starling in the sun (through Glass)


 






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Wednesday 30 December 2020

Back on the patch

 Waking up after yesterdays heroic mountaineering escapades I was surprised to find I could still walk๐Ÿ˜€(Always a bonus these days to be honest) so decided with a fairly decent weather forecast to head out on to what I now regard my local patch off the London Road. Dropping Margie of at work (still no rest she must be very wicked๐Ÿ‘ฟ) I headed out, the moon was shining big and  bright and there was a nice red tinge to the sky, unfortunately the moon wasn't available to photograph from where I park the car, however the sunrise was quite good!! The whole experience enhanced & heightened by the thoughtful dog walker who had kindly left 2 brightly coloured bags of shit on the floor, so considerate!๐Ÿ˜ก I know you shouldn't judge all by the behaviour of a few thoughtless individuals, but I do!! 

Sunrise 

Sunrise

Some strange cloud formations lit up even stranger by the sun

To think twas only yesterday I stood upon this mighty peak!

Yay!!Pretty dog shit bags amongst the frosty grass!!

I figured if I hurried I could get clear of the trees and try for a picture of the magnificent Moon, I nearly ran but thought better of it was very frosty and slippy and then I got distracted by a fox and by the time I got to a clear bit the Moon was sulking and had hid itself behind a cloud!!!

Fox in dawn light

Snuffling about

Keeping an eye out! Looked in good condition!

Moon playing silly buggers was a shame because it was pretty spectacular from the car!

So headed down the glades very muddy, icy and slippery but I was like a nimble gazelle moving effortlessly along (nearly fell over twice and got boot stuck embarrassingly though rescued the situation magnificently!!) As yesterday the first birds I came across were a flock of Tits  and again as yesterday mainly Long-tailed Tits and yet again as yesterday my pictures are pants, though in my defence the sun wasn't fully up!!

Blue Tit

Icy, was pretty nippy out there this morning

Long-tailed Tit 
As the sun came up the birds became more active, several Nuthatches were calling Great Spotted and Green Woodpeckers were flying about 5 thrush species were about mostly high in the trees catching the sun; pictures were at a premium though I did manage a Treecreeper shot and with Margie not present, it was down to me to take spooky pictures of trees so I attempted that as well!

Spooky Tree pic

Different Spooky Tree

Frosty Teasel sadly without Goldfinches

Treecreeper ,can you spot it?

Fieldfare catching some rays
I headed down Church Lane, was warming up nicely at the Church a nice selection of birds, Great Tit and Blue Tit both showed well, a couple of scrapping Nuthatches evaded the camera a male Bullfinch did his best to avoid it as well. He departed north and a flock of 5 more 3 Male and 2 Females came in from the south they also tried had to avoid having their picture taken but I managed some record shots, a couple of Stock Doves posed ok and more Fieldfares were knocking about.

Great Tit

Bullfinch being difficult

Blue Tit

Stock Dove

Stock dove

Couple more Bullfinch

Fieldfare


Blue Tit checking out next years nest hole
I did another loop around, a Kestrel sat high in a tree a pale Buzzard in another though distant, a Raven flew over cronking more Fieldfare and Redwing were flying about the place calling, the sun was lighting up the place nicely some of the trees really stood out though my pics largely failed to do them justice.
This tree really looked nice in the sunlight, stood out but doesn't really come over in the pics

Pale Buzzard

Fly-over Raven

Mistle Thrush several about

Fieldfare and Redwing Combo

Fieldfare

Fieldfare

Kestrel

Kestrel
I found myself in Church Lane again, hopeless sense of direction๐Ÿ˜€ I looked over a gate into a grassy field and found out where all the Fieldfare had gone, probably about 40 all told spread out over the field, nice to see them out in the open!! A few pics below.






After much internal debate I decided to head up to the vineyard and walk around back to the car, up until now the ground had been nice and flat, after yesterdays extreme sport activity๐Ÿ˜€ the last thing I needed was another climb ,but it's a pretty gentle slope and I was able to continue my series of Hurstpierpoint Church from different angles series of pics! 

Song Thrush in the hedge along the Fieldfare field

Wolstonbury scene of yesterday's Triumph!

Jack n Jill much nicer weather today

Hurstpierpoint Church from yet another angle

At the Vineyard a shepherd was rounding up the sheep that had been in the vineyard and moving them into the field I was in ,interesting to watch his dog go about it's work, although at some points it seemed on a different wavelength to the Shepard!!๐Ÿ˜€ They got them there in the end though and I continued along the path ,all the shouting and rampaging sheep had stirred up the birds, a loose group of about 15 Skylarks were flying around as were a flock of about 40 Starlings a mini murmuration occurred but I missed the picture duh!! Couple of Meadow Pipits flew up and sat on a fence post and some Redwings sat in a tree long enough for me to get a picture hurrah!!

Redwing in a tree

Pipit on a Post

Starling, I missed the other 39!!

I headed back to the car ,briefly distracted by a couple of Goldfinch and a Robin, making a bid for the December slot in next years Calendar, lots of Robins, Blackbirds, Dunnocks and Wrens seen about the place.

Goldfinch

Robin

Goldfinch with seed
Well that was about it, nice to be out in some sunshine for a change much easier for half decent pictures, I probably should have posted some ๐Ÿ˜€. Another 3 and a half miles walked after yesterdays 4 and a half I can feel the Christmas poundage falling off, unfortunately I can feel it piling back on again when I'm home and let loose amongst the chocolates and cake!!!