First Dawn Chorus of 2015

Friday 20th February 2015

A quick note just to say that I noticed the first dawn chorus of the year last Sunday, the 15th Feb. It started off the week quite quiet and understated but by this morning it was bold and brassy, with all and sundry joining in and really going for it.  I'm sure there is some sort of competition on for who can sing the loudest, but I'm not complaining, I love it.

One other quick note, the song thrush is back, he/she has been rooting around in the garden on and off for the last couple of weeks, that is until he/she is spied by one of our blackbirds who appear to have taken a dislike to it and see it off at great speed.  As I have mentioned before we don't see the thrush often but when we do it seems to be at exactly the same time of year for just a few weeks, odd. 

Swyre Head

Tuesday 17th February 2015

Today the weather was fantastic with plenty of sunshine and a clear blue sky.  It was so nice that we had two walks, one into Swanage for coffee and back in the morning, all very civilised! Then in the afternoon we drove a short distance of about 5 miles to have a second walk at Swyre Head.  The car park was more than a bit muddy and sloshy and the only place left to park was in a muddy puddle but it would take more than a puddle to halt our plans, and once we had left the car park things improved underfoot.  The walk is uphill all the way to the top of the cliff but the reward once you are up there is an amazing view along the coast towards Kimmeridge Bay and Lulworth beyond.  

Shortly after walking through a field of very lovely woolly faced sheep, we came across this memorial seat dedicated to those who gave their lives in flying accidents at this spot at Swyre Head.

As you walk uphill you get a good view of Encombe House (a privately owned large estate) down below in the valley.

Zooming in on Encombe House.

A coastal view towards Kimmeridge Bay and Lulworth (supersized, so hanging over the edge of my blog!)

On the way back downhill I zoomed in on the view in front of us with Corfe Castle in the foreground and Poole Harbour and Poole in the background.

Back through the field of sheep - loads of them!

Nearly all had their backs to us - don't know if it was something we said!

Finally, on our walks into Swanage over the last few months we noticed a very distinctive tree which has lots of unusual long catkins on it, I remembered to take some photos of it today and looked it up, apparently the common name for it is the silk tassel bush and the botanical name is garrya. 

The silk tassel bush.

The catkins look rigid but when you touch them they are soft and pliable and the leaves are shiny and evergreen, I really like this tree/bush, it's quite striking and different.

Another good day.

Back at our Old Stomping Ground - Ice and Birds

Thursday 5th February 2015

We haven't had a chance to walk on Southampton Common for a while so it was nice this afternoon to have the time to go and visit it.  This last week has been pretty cold and icy and today was no exception, at one stage walking into the wind my face was so cold that I think I could have had facial surgery and not felt it my face was that cold.  

The Boating Lake sadly is still empty of water but both the Ornamental and Cemetery Lakes were bustling with activity and bird sound.  The Ornamental Lake had a large amount of ice across the middle of it but the swans knew exactly how to negotiate it with ease and the coots quite happily wandered about on it.  

Synchronised swans.

The ducks on the other side of the lake were very vocal - maybe they were complaining about the cold - I know was!

This mistle thrush was pecking around close to the footpath and we didn't notice it until it flew off. I am used to seeing song thrushes but this thrush was noticeably bigger.

Near one of the entrances on the Avenue there was a large rhododendron bush in flower, it seemed odd to see such colour in the cold.

There were robins, magpies and wood pigeons everywhere.

With a lap of the Common completed it was time to go home for a well earned cup of tea and to thaw out!

Brockishill Inclosure (South of Cadnam)

Tuesday 27th January 2015

It's been a long while since we last walked in the New Forest so it was high time we got back into it.  A newish geocache has been placed between Cadnam and Lyndhurst at Fair Cross near Brockishill Inclosure so we decided to give it a go.  It was good to get back in the Forest and back to the ........

water.........

forestry operations........

and mud! (Can't say I've really missed this one though!)

It was a dull old day with a colourless sky but it was good to get out walking in the country air.  We didn't pass another soul until we were practically back at the car, even better.

One very defined small animal track, I wonder who's been tromping through here on a regular basis?

A face in an old beech tree, it looks vaguely dog like to me.

Geocache number one of 2015 in the bag (so to speak, not actually in the bag!!) We're a long way behind our usual number of finds already but never mind.

This is the top of the beech tree that looked like it had a dog face on it, not looking too healthy!

We came across a couple of huge mounds of dead bracken, I have no idea what they are for, compost maybe?

We had a very pleasant walk of 3.5 miles but didn't see a great deal of wildlife.  A buzzard took off quite close to us in amongst the trees and there were a couple of big flocks of chaffinches flitting about but that was about it.  

RSPB Garden Birdwatch 2015

Saturday 24th January 2015

I carried out the birdwatch for the RSPB this morning between 8.30 and 9.30am,  It was a sunny morning, warmer than the last few mornings which have been very cold and frosty so we had quite a good result.

Goldfinch x 7
Greenfinch x 2
Robin x 2
Blackbird x 2
Wood pigeon  x 4
Jackdaw x 9
Starling x 5
Pied Wagtail x 1
Dunnock x 1
Chiffchaff x 1
Blue tit x 1
Pheasant x 1
Wren x 1

Pheasant!!!!!!!!!!!   What a day for him to choose to stroll on by, we've seen one  before in the garden but this one hung around for 45 minutes or so.  I think he was planning his next move and trying to decide how to get back to the fields (which in a straight line are probably quarter or a mile or so away).

Mr Pheasant.

Chiffchaff

Swanage Town Hall

Tuesday 20th January 2015

We have walked past Swanage Town Hall many times of late but today we made a point of stopping to have a proper look at it and as you can see it's quite impressive. There is information on the Town Hall and it's history here

We walked on into Swanage and to the beach, where I took more of the same old  photos, but I like them!

Swanage Pier.

Late afternoon colour.

Poole Quay

Thursday 8th January 2015

We parked at Poole Quay this morning after a very wet and dreary drive from home.  As the rain had stopped  we decided to walked along the Quay and into Poole for a spot of retail therapy - I'm not sure if it was therapy, I soon got fed up with the people so we had lunch and headed back along the Quay where the sun had come out and things looked a whole lot brighter than they did earlier in the day.  

A black headed gull, not sleeping overnight or cooking, just watching (and waiting for food no doubt!)

In the park next to the car park, wildfowl were making the most of the waterlogged grass, it was mainly Canada Geese,  

with a few Oyster Catchers thrown in at the back.

Then the sun came out and looking at these photos it could have been the summer, well, it didn't feel too much like the summer but it looked pretty good.

A large posh boat (I probably shouldn't call it a boat at all but some sort of cruiser?)

Nice!

Brownsea Island in the background on the far right and Sandbanks in the middle.

Looking towards Poole.

The geese are still here.......

well they were until some less than clever people let their dogs run at them in the park.

The geese took off and landed on the sea but soon gradually came back to the park where there must be something very appealing for geese to eat!