Loitering by the river at Cranford Park

Initially I was at Cranford Park this morning to hopefully help continue work on the new wildlife pond, but Dragena and her crew were again let down by the delivery of the membrane. When I left just after lunchtime the crew had gone to Watford to pick up a new order themselves rather than rely on waiting for it to be delivered. Hopefully when I go back tomorrow the membrane and liner should be fitted.

 

Today was very cloudy and a lot chillier than yesterday so hardly any butterflies on the wing. However the Honeybees are very active still.

 

 

This is the wild colony that have set up home in one of the bricked up archways at the Stable Block.

 

In the woods the Stinkhorn fungus that I found yesterday had survived the night without being kicked over......

 

 

I take our Grey Squirrels so much for granted that I rarely bother photographing them, but this little fella posed for me so obligingly that I had to take a snap.....

 

 

Where the pond is situated there is already a resident Robin. Here he/she is perching nicely on one of the old logs that will border the pond eventually....

 

 

I decided to kill some time looking for the Kingfisher.......again.

And again I saw it whizzing past me several times.....

And again I failed to get a photo......

But even though the weather was far from perfect there was plenty to see at the River. In fact all of the below photos were taken just from the Stone Bridge.

 

First up was a distant male Great Spotted Woodpecker.....

 

 

......followed by a female who also didn't stick around for more than one photo....

 

The Stone Bridge is quite handy for leaning on and observing the birds. A very funny Jay landed on one of the dead trees and struck several poses for me whilst I used the Stone Bridge as a bit of cover.....

 

At this time of year you often see roving tit flocks moving around the trees. One such flock held not just Long-tailed, Blue and Great Tits but also a good number of Goldcrests. Again the bridge came in handy to hide behind and I managed to get several photos of the Goldcrests, the UK's smallest bird......

 

 

Down on the reed bed a shrill call told me there was a Wagtail around, and then I saw it pottering about on the debris that accumulates between the reeds. A stunning Grey Wagtail with that lovely flash of yellow on its chest and tail.......

 

 

and again the Stone Bridge meant I could watch the bird for ages without disturbing it.

 

If only the Kingfisher would oblige too.......