A Grey Squirrel Finds The Bird Feeder

Tuesday 19th April 2016

We've had that rare visitor, a grey squirrel, in our garden a couple of mornings of late.  The birds didn't seem particularly impressed with him taking over the bird feeder but he didn't stay for very long and all returned to normal quite quickly.  

This was his first visit on 5th April

Then we didn't see him for about 10 days and I took these on his second visit.

At one stage he stood in this spot for over 5 minutes just taking in the view!

I'm sure it would have been easier up the other way but he made the art of hanging upside down look easy!

A Robin's Nest

Monday 18th April 2016

I first noticed a pair of robins had nested in our garden about 10 days ago and it's been an exciting week.  The nest is in the trunk of an old plum tree, I had no idea how rotten this tree was until I investigated and tried to find the nest.  It was only a couple of feet off the ground, tucked well into the tree trunk, fairly well protected from the weather and away from the prying eyes of jackdaws, rooks and magpies. The adults must have been sitting on eggs for a couple of weeks but I didn't notice anything until they started feeding their young - four little bundles of loveliness!

3 days old - 8/4/16

5 days old - 10/4/16

8 days old - 13/4/16

The adults are fairly comfortable with us in the garden as we feed the birds so they weren't too stressed when I quickly took photos every few days.  As the babies got bigger the parents started to take them suet pellets, a nice easy meal for the parents to find!

10 days old - 15/4/16

This was a very wet day, it rained practically all day but the little birds stayed dryish.  Their last long fluffy head bits look a bit soggy in this picture and I reckon they look a bit fed up but the nest looks snug and dry! (incidentally I was shocked by how tiny the nest is, these photos make it look quite a size but it was very small, considering there were 4 babies growing fast.

I really think this one was fed up with the rain!

11 days old - 16/4/16   

There is a wing in this one so some flapping and wing stretching was happening and  I wondered if they would soon be leaving.  The parents were still busy feeding in the nest into the evening and this morning I got up to this......

.... an empty nest.  Good news - day 13, all 4 babies successfully fledged before 8am. The amazing little parents have been busy all day feeding the babies close to our garden.  I haven't seen the babies but I am hoping I might in the next few days, and I will of course be keeping an eye out for them. 

A Bit of a Bird Weekend!

1st - 3rd April 2016

We've had a lovely long weekend in Swanage, getting out and about walking.  We started off on the first evening watching guillemots and other seabirds from the cliff path at Durlston Country Park.  The following day we had a walk along the Priest's Way and back along the cliff where we saw our first returning swallows of 2016 (just the two though!) and the next day we had a walk across Middlebere Heath where we were lucky enough to see a few dartford warblers and a marsh harrier.  I have never seen either of these birds before so I was more than a little excited to see them!  I made a note of the birds we saw, and this is the list!

Great tit                                                        Kestrel
Sparrowhawk                                              Swallow
Jackdaw                                                      Stonechat
Raven                                                           Dunnock
Robin                                                            Blackbird
Chaffinch                                                      Egret
Herring gull                                                   Marsh harrier
Buzzard                                                         Oyster catcher
Greenfinch                                                    Curlew
Magpie                                                          Goldfinch
Crow                                                              Cormorant
Rook                                                              Mallard
Sparrow                                                        Guillemot
Skylark                                                          Fulmar
Woodpigeon                                                Pheasant
Wren                                                             Dartford Warbler
Starling

The guillemots have returned to the cliff ledges to nest, and it's looking pretty busy!

There were a few fulmars around but they proved far too difficult to take photos of, this herring gull was a bit easier!

Guillemots floating around and washing!

Suddenly a group of jackdaws took to the sky swooping and looping, gradually being joined by more, it was quite a sight.

Middlebere Heath, A Marsh Harrier and Dartford Warblers

Sunday 3rd April 2016

We realised that there was a geocache fairly local to Swanage that we hadn't looked for so we headed to another new area to us, Middlebere Heath, which is between Norden and Arne, near Wareham.  We had to find various answers to clues before we found the eventual geocache and this took us to some great locations.  The area belongs to the National Trust and they have placed shepherd's huts around to be used as bird hides, they were brilliant (although one had a mahoosive spider in it so I soon left again!!)

A moody looking Corfe Castle.

I haven't noticed this before but this cattle grid has two ramps on either side of it for hedgehogs to get out should they fall in (and if they fall in the middle there are holes for them to get through to each side)

Good plan!

A shepherd's hut bird hide (+ spider) with a fantastic view over an inlet of Poole Harbour.

It was from here that we saw the marsh harrier, soaring below.

I really like fir cones too and 

there were plenty here.

The route took us along a footpath that was a railway line years ago and it was just along here in the gorse bushes that we saw a few dartford warblers quite close up, it was amazing.

There was another bird hide just before we managed to find the geocache.  This is a great place to visit, I can thoroughly recommend it, there were birds and birdsong everywhere, just my sort of place.

Priests Way and First Swallows of 2016

Saturday 2nd April 2016

This afternoon we walked along a short section of the Priest's Way from Swanage almost to Dancing Ledge and back along the cliffs, where we saw our first two returning swallows of 2016 swooping across the fields together.  I was very happy to see them, they're one of my favourite birds (but the robin takes some beating!)

I hope your head's not stuck in that!

Ewwwwww!  Meanwhile, as this lot eat.............

....someone's got to mind the babies!!

and very cute they were too.

Lesser celandine.

There were one or two bluebells out, with signs of many more to come.

The footpath took us through another field of cows and I couldn't resist this little one, however I am very wary of cows so we didn't get anywhere near them.

Gorse!

We were lucky enough to see three or four deer out in the middle of a field, we were some way off but they had spotted us and kept an eye on us until a dog appeared, then they were gone!

Primroses in a favourite spot.

The bluebells are nearly out and when they are it will look amazing here (will have a look next week to see how it looks).

We met a lady along the footpath who wanted to know if we'd seen any swallows and I was pleased to let her know we had, but it had taken us all afternoon to see just the two - but it was well well worth it.

Worth Matravers to Winspit

Good Friday 25th March 2016

The weather was glorious again today and luckily we had just about enough time to fit in a quick walk.  We parked in Worth Matravers, overlooking Woodhenge and although it was fairly early there were already lots of cars in the car park (by lunchtime it was full up with some  parking that needed to be seen to be believed!).  Despite the masses in the car park we managed to avoid everyone (well, almost everyone) and chose a route to Winspit that others didn't!

Not the best photo in the world but you get the idea, for details on Woodhenge, see here

The duck pond in Worth Matravers, a very tranquil place.

Looking towards Anvil Point Lighthouse at Durlston.

At Winspit there were a few climbers doing their thing - rather them than me!

It was lovely sitting in the sunshine..........

.....making the most of Good Friday!

I find this place a little eerie, I'm not sure why though.

I don't think this sort of thing helps!

Flowers are beginning to come out and there was plenty of birdsong in the hedgerows.

It's good to see a bit of colour.

I took this as I liked the bare trees against this very blue sky.

Returning to Worth Matravers we had a look around the church, St Nicholas of Myra.

and then went back to the car, where luckily we were not one of those blocked in!!!