Garden visitors...

Winter has arrived in Holtwood.  Twinned with Siberia. 

The bird feeders are never empty, please don't underestimate how much that costs! But considered worth it, when you can sit and watch things come and go all day..

The usual visitors still present.. GS Woodies, Nuthatch, Finches and Tits. The latter 2 being joined by other types.

A Marsh Tit, Lesser Redpoll and a few Siskins are new additions. Still waiting for a Bullfinch or two and a Blackcap would also be nice..  With 10 cm of snow predicted in the next 24 hours, who knows what will drop in??

I have food, I have fire wood (and bird food) and ain't going too far.

And, I actually think I'm gonna need a hand counting on next weekend's RSPB Big Garden Birdwatch..  

So many visitors!

 Siskins

Marsh Tit

 Lesser Redpoll

 Lesser Redpoll and Goldfinch

Mr. GS Woody

Otter Spotting...

Living on Rooksbury Lakes was the inspiration of this blog.  So much to see for a small reserve. When living there I could easily lose a couple of hours a day, wandering around, experiencing the rich and diverse sights..

Its an area that I have come close to moving back to recently, it is only the daily commute that put me off. 

Fickle?

Anyways.. As shown in previous posts, the area is now blessed to have a family of Otters calling it home. Bold as you like too!.. And on Sunday I was lucky enough to get another view - and for 90 minutes!!

After hearing of some good views and activity in the morning I headed down to meet a friend on the lake.  

We located where they were living, from the sounds made by the new youngsters and set up, waiting for them to come out.  Sadly the youngsters didn't, but Mummy Otter was present in the main lake for well over 90 minutes.. It was getting dark, cold and I had to leave, but it was very very hard to tear myself away from watching her fish the main lake.  

I wasn't alone too. Word had got out and a large crowd were present, enjoying the free show of one of nature's greatest events.. For many it was their first sighting of a wild Otter. 

A very good day.. and so pleased its all happening at Rooksbury. A fantastic place.

Return of the Bombycilla. (waxwings)..

Ok, me trying to be clever and use Latin isn't a good idea - but they're back!
After hardly any spotted in the South last winter, the Waxwings were back in force this time. 40 listed in Hungerford at 9 a.m. on Saturday 8th December 2011-  It was a quick jump in the car to see if I could spot them.
I've been lucky enough to see Waxwings on a few occasions, but always on a cloudy day or at the end of the daylight as they move across an estate at work.
Today was different. A bright sunny day and I had all the time in the world.

Arriving at the place (A338 rdbt in Hungerford) it didn't take long to first hear then see them. The trills that sound like many little bells being rung and they were perched atop a tree along the A4.  A few shots, but too high to get anything decent, due to the angle.  So I move to the Rowan bushes that they favoured last time in 2010.
Success, despite the attempts of the resident Mistle Thrushm they kept dropping down and grabbing some berries whilst they could. Along with a male Blackcap.

I must have stayed there for around 90 minutes, being joined by moire people with cameras as I waited. If I had a pound for time I answered  'what we were looking at' from passing motorists, I'd have, well,  a few pound...

Back to the Gallops

Autumn turning to winter and it was time to go and see if the Short Eared Owls had returned to my local site.

They aren't listed on www.berksbirds.co.uk (but every other counties websites) to protect them.. So unless you hear from someone else that they have returned - there is only one other way to find out. So I headed up there on the 11th of November to see for myself.

I got the answer I was hoping for, as I crested the hill - I saw one flying around. Fairly early, at 3 p.m.. This was then joined by a couple more. Giving pretty good views.

On the hunt for food.

 Found some?

And then I got lucky..

A good afternoon!

I've been back twice since, but haven't had as good views since.

I'll keep trying though.