An overdue visit to the London Wetland Centre

The weather forecast for today was sun and showers, so thinking I could shelter in one of the many hides at the London Wetland Centre when it rained, but be out looking for damselflies when it was sunny, I headed down there first thing today.

 

The weather forecast was wrong. It did lightly rain on a couple of occasions, but the sun barely shone at all. Add to that a very blustery wind and it all made for a very poor photographic day. Hardly any damselflies were out today, and the ones I could find I had trouble photographing due to the wind blowing the reeds around. So here's the best of the mess.....

 

Azure Damselfly

 

Blue-tailed Damselfly

 

Initially I had several more photos, including one of a Large Red caught and trapped in a spiders web, and of a pair of Azures mating......but somehow over 25 of the 110 photos I edited today, have failed to upload. I hope this isn't a signal that my old camera could be on its last legs.

 

From the Peacock tower you could see the Mute Swan family with its record breaking eleven cygnets. Trying to get them all into one photo was challenging enough.

 

 

The Summer Route is closed for a short while, but for a good reason. For the first time a pair of Sparrowhawks have nested on site. I did get two glancing glimpses of the female coming up high above the trees around that area, but wasn't quick enough to photograph it.

 

 

En route to the Wildside hide, I found this beautiful Bee Orchid. The area has been clearly marked so everyone can enjoy it. It currently has three open flowers with another two buds.

 

 

Once in the Wildside hide I was kept amused for some time watching the Swifts and Martins swooping low down over the marshes. This Canada Goose popped up in front of the hide window. The grass is so long I didn't see it sneak up on me.

 

 

There was a showy Cormorant too.

 

 

As the weather was so gloomy, I gave up on my quest to find damselflies and settled myself in the Waderscrape hide to hopefully get a close up view of one of the juvenile Redshanks.

 

The juvenile is in the bottom corner, with a blurred image of an adult in the top corner.

 

After much waiting, one of the juveniles came right out into the open, and right in from of the hide, but the light was so dreadful, that although I was getting plenty of close up photos, I had to seriously lighten the image below.

 

Juv. Redshank

 

Adult Redshank

 

A lovely little juvenile Lapwing also appeared.

 

 

On the way back to the exit I could hear a Great Spotted Woody calling, and found this youngster by the bird feeders.

 

 

There was plenty more to see. There are still Mallards with ducklings, and the Tufted Ducks have started showing off their little broods too. Juvenile Herons can be seen, and there are young Black-headed gulls on some of the tern rafts, along with at least two Common Terns on nests as well. Lots of Chaffinch, Blue Tit and Great Tit families were on the bird feeders by the Explore area, plus I got a lovely close up view of a Greenfinch on the bird feeder next to the Headley hide.

 

So not a great day, but not a bad one either. I was really disappointed with the weather. It felt more like March than June today. I didn't see one butterfly all day long. And I'm also a little concerned my camera decided to play up when I tried to upload my pics. Here's hoping there's a few more months life in it, as I cant afford to buy another one just yet. But it was also nice to see some old familiar faces today as well. Gary and Andy were putting me to shame with their super-duper camera equipment, Laurence was out with a group on one of the LWC walk and talks, and Martin and Charles popped in for the afternoon. Hopefully I can get back there next weekend, and hopefully the weather will start behaving like it should be at this time of year !

 



Its all about the juveniles at Lake Farm on summer solstice day

It was a humid muggy day with the odd burst of sunshine and two smatterings of rain,

but that didn't stop me getting out to Lake Farm today.

 

Not many birds around to be seen out in the open, but they were plenty in the undergrowth. Lots of 'cheeping' noises from fledglings and juveniles. By the canal (whilst looking for the famous invisible Bullfinches), I located movement on the other side of the water. A family of Dad and three juvenile Blackcaps were flitting around. No sign of Mum though.

 

Number one

 

Number two with Dad

 

Number three

 

Dad doing all the insect hunting himself.

 

Back in the copse at Lake Farm I could hear a high pitched cry. It took me ages to locate it as it was in a scrubby clearance where you actually look down into the shrubs. Finally I followed an adult Wrens flight and found a fledgling baby. It's a wonder more youngsters don't get predated. They certainly know how to draw attention to themselves. The adult fed the chick twice before the youngster decided to move on.

 

Feed me NOW !

 

Fledgling Wren

 

I checked the patch of brambles where Tony James and I had seen a young Whitethroat last week. Sure enough within 10 minutes this lovely youngster popped up a few feet away. Its past the stage of being fed by its parents now, and its plumage is almost complete. However the parent birds were still around. In all I spotted nine juveniles and seven adult Common Whitethroats across the site today. it really has been a good year for them.

 

teenage Common Whitethroat

 

the same teenager getting its own food.

 

After a brief heavy shower where I sheltered under a tree and scared the crap out of two juvenile Woodpigs, I made my way up the canal to Stockley Park. I could hear Great Spotted Woodpeckers calling all along that stretch of the canal, but only got the below record shot to prove the Lake Farm juveniles are moving around nicely.

 

Juv Great Spotted Woodpecker

 

By the reed beds at Stockley, I was dismayed to see I wasn't going to be alone. A group of young teenagers (of the human variety) were fishing there. The Reed Warbler that had showed so well for Tony, Sue, Roy and myself last week, stayed hidden with only the occasional burst of song. It did flit across to the other pond for a short while but wasn't keen on coming out in the open with all the noise the fishing teenagers were doing

 

brief glimpse of the Reed Warbler

 

this Robin kept popping up and staring at the humans fishing

 

On the way back home, after another heavy rain shower, I stopped to try to take some photos of the damselflys that were flitting around. Was very difficult to get any focused shots as the wind kept whipping up. So I will get back within the next few days, so see how many varieties I can find.

 

So not a bad day for the local patch, though the three birds I really wanted to see (Reed Buntings, Skylarks and Meadow Pipits) weren't showing at all. And because the weather was so unpredictable I didn't venture more into Stockley Park due to no cover being there and the fact I had not jacket. Still, Ive got another three days off work, so hopefully can fit in another visit, and more extensive search of Stockley soon. 

The work Woodys

I was at work today on the usual Sunday stand-by shift.

 Only good thing about it is I don't have to stay in the office.

 

The morning was grey and dark and rainy, but as it cleared up I had a couple of visitors to the puddle outside the office. Sorry about the quality, but pics taken from my desk through double glazing.

 

Woodpig bath time

 

Collared Dove bath time

 

When the sun eventually came out, I diverted the work phones to my mobile and trotted off to the woodland opposite my work yard. As with the last couple of days, I could hear lots of fledgling birds, but couldn't see many. However the Jackdaws calling drew my eye to this little head poking out.....

 

And then a Marmite Parakeet done the same thing on the tree opposite.......

 

And then I heard the unmistakeable sound of a Great Spotted Woody, and found this little head......

 

When I was here last Sunday, the juveniles hadn't yet started peering out of the nest hole, but I had had good views of the adults taking food in to them. This is the second GSW nest hole I've found in these small woods (the other nest hole is already empty, the juveniles in that one were older than these) yet I've not been able to find any at Cranford Park, my usual haunt. Just like last week, I found a place where I could watch and photograph the GSWs without disturbing them.

 

 

 

I also found another view point, but although I was invisible to the GSWs, I wasn't invisible to any dogs or dog owners, and got asked a few times what I was taking photos of. I didn't want to give up the real reason so said I was taking photos of Marmite Parakeets.

 

 

 

These juveniles look like they'll be fledging in a few days, but I might not get back over there as it'll mean leaving the work premises, but I'll see what I can do.

On the short walk back to the yard I found a Common Blue damselfly and coincidently, a Common Blue butterfly.

 

 

 

And lastly a Marmite Parakeet eating a flower petal......

Mixed emotions at Lake Farm - warning, this is going to be a long blog post !

Today my blog will start with me having a rant.

I would have a good swear as well but it wont get me anywhere.

 

 The mature hedgerow that divided the corner of the park containing the toddlers playground and manicured grass from the wilder expanse at Lake Farm, has been torn down. The destruction of Lake Farm for the building of a primary school has begun.

 

The last time I was at LF was the 27th May, so between then and now, the hedgerow has been decimated. What a stupid stupid STUPID time of year to do it !!! There were Dunnocks, Blue and Great Tits and House Sparrows nesting in that hedge, not to mention Magpies, Wood Pigeons and Collared Doves. What idiot at the council allowed this to happen ???? If the hedge had to be removed, why wasn't it done either before nesting season or after ????? I've read the ecologist report that was drawn up when the building plans were submitted, and even that recommended no works were to be done until after August. It's against the law to destroy any active nests. I hope the pratt that ordered this wanton destruction is named, shamed and fined. There were on-going reptile surveys that I don't believe had been completed either. That hedgerow was a major part of Lake Farm. I've seen Meadow Pipits, Reed Buntings and Skylarks sit atop it.

 

 This isn't green land management, this is utter destruction and vandalism, and for no valid reason other than to get the school built as soon as possible.

 

The majority of locals don't even want a school there, its going to not only destroy the only green land we have, but traffic congestion is going to be dreadful. Even Transport For London had said bus timetables would have to be revised to allow for all the delays this school will cause. Why isn't the council listening to the locals ? Why is the planning committee made up of councillors who don't even live in the area and have never even visited the site ? Why chose Lake Farm when so many other sites around Hayes were, and are, available ?

 

What on earth is wrong with this council ???????????

 

The 'curve' is where some of the hedgerow used to be.

 

This wasn't pruned down, this was hacked down.

 

Dying debris left over from the hedgerow removal.

 

Rant over, but I'm not happy, and will be e-mailing the link to this blog to the local paper and to John McDonnell, our local MP.

 

On a brighter note, I spent a lovely few hours at the park this morning. Bird fledge season is truly underway. I met up with Tony, and later Sue, Roy and Jasper, for a gentle stroll around the park. The first bird of note that Tony and I saw, was this juvenile Common Whitethroat.

 

We also had great views of a female Kestrel hunting overhead.

She was as interested in us as we were in her.

 

 

Lots of Linnets around again today, this female stopped just long enough for me to grab a shot.

 

We heard more Reed Buntings than we saw, but this male showed well briefly.

 

By the path alongside the BMX tracks, we spotted this female Green Woodpecker.

She was intently delving into the soil.

 

Just above her a Skylark kept flying up and calling. We guessed the woodpecker was either too near a the Skylarks nest or its fledglings. We followed the Skylarks progress until it dropped on the other side of the BMX track. All of a sudden another, or possibly the same, Skylark appeared on one of the tracks humps. Too far away to get a decent photo or to even say if its a juv or an adult clearly. But all the same, it was nice to see one out in the open.

 

Tony, Sue, Jasper and myself made our way to the old willow. Tony and I saw a juv Great Spotted Woodpecker on one its branches earlier, I couldn't get any photos but I think Tony managed a couple. It's proof that they youngsters have recently fledged. We don't know how many chicks they had in the end, but its a nice ending for a bird not often seen at Lake Farm.

 

Roy joined us at this stage. He's a daily visitor to Lake Farm, and was a good friend of the late Pete Naylor, and is the best source of local bird knowledge we know. He informed us there are definitely Bullfinches around (ooooooh I so want to see one there) and that a Cuckoo had been seen and heard at both nearby Stockley Park and at Lake Farm. He also said Reed Warblers were abundant at Stockley. We accompanied him on his daily trek from Lake Farm, down the canal and onto Stockley Park. Neither Sue, Tony nor myself had even been there. I've been through Stockley on the bus, and seen the reed beds and expanses of water, but always presumed it was private land. Roy took us on a great tour. He showed us where he thinks Sparrowhawks are nesting, where he's seen a Kingfisher fishing, and to a large reed bed where he said there was a very showy Reed Warbler. He wasn't wrong. The bird sat just feet away from us singing.

 

 

 

 

The tour didn't stop there. He led us through a meadow and down to another patch of reed beds criss crossed by wooden board walks, which led to another meadow area and another large expanse of water. This is a part of Stockley I never knew existed, and one that all three of us swore we would visit again. After the shock of finding the Lake Farm hedgerow had been torn down, this new found area of nature was just what we needed. So a huge thank you to Roy.

 

On the way back to the canal four or five largish birds flushed from by the Kingfisher pond. They were juvenile, and very recently fledged, Jays. An adult was near by watching carefully, as we studied these gorgeous youngsters.

My first juvenile Jay.

 

So a really pleasant morning out with good company, and only marred by the discovery that the destruction of Lake Farm has begun. I just hope that any birds displaced by the building of the school, makes its way to Stockley Park.

 

And last, but by no means least, a photo of the best bird-watching dog ever, Jasper.

He's a credit to you Sue :)