Cheeky Nutkins!!

Last year I kept my bird feeders up all Summer and it cost me a fortune.
In the new place, apart from the greedy pigeons, numbers are lower so food lasts longer., so I will probably feed through the Summer again.
This is good news if your name is Cheeky Nutkins - the pole dancing squirrel.

Bluebells

Spring has taken a month longer to arrive this year?

Bluebell woods are normally seen in April, but this year I didn't see my first bluebell until the beginning of May! Even this time last week - there was hardly any locally. Then everything changed, seemingly overnight.

Bowdown Woods in Greenham has exploded in bluebells and smells amazing too. Definitely worth a look if you are local.

I was there pretty early in the morning. In hindsight I think a trip when the sun is higher will prove worthwhile.

Mad March Hares.

A quick check of the local fields around Kintbury today in the hope of snapping some boxing Hares.

I've seen them here regularly, but nature rarely plays by the rules and to be honest, I don't really know anything about Hares

The first field near Kintbury had 6 Hare sat in the middle of. I watched them for a while but they didn't move, not even to eat. The field was massive and they were a very long way off. The chance of getting any decent pictures was very remote, bordering on the side of impossible. Guessing that the lack of activity was because the ladies weren't in season, I got bored of watching and tried somewhere else. 

A mile or so up the road and 4 more were sat in a different field, again not doing very much at all.

I spent some more time watching and they moved a bit. A very brief bit of boxing but more a case of chasing each other off. A female was anchored herself down in a form and was being heavily guarded by a male. The 2 others in the area were also males and were just waiting....  patiently in the distance.

I'm sure it wont be long before there is some more action, but seeing this weekend's weather forecast - I think I'll pass.

A stand off.

Followed by a bit of chasing around.

She settles back in her form.

Guarding his lady, cleaning his feet.

He has all day, no rush.

Not an Otter Spotter....

Today was Spring-like..  Days like these should not be wasted!

I'm coming to the end of a 2 week period of annual leave from work and although I have completed a lot of tasks in the new house, plus run and cycled a few times, I haven't had any days out with the camera - apart from a morning in Romsey and the New Forest last Monday.

The weather has been 'temperamental', but in previous years I would have at least been to the coast or Blashford once or twice in these two weeks..  The lack of outings probably has a large amount to dp with the fact I'm not Year-Listing this year. It shouldn't do, (and I'm not sure I should admit this publically) but when year-listing  there is a slight addiction to spot birds either before they leave us after their winter stay, AS SOON as they arrive for the WHOLE of Summer, or spot stuff that gets a bit lost in their journey from A to B, where ever A and B may be..
Any way the wind blows - as Freddie once said.

A tick is a tick after all - and they all add up.

So, not wanting to waste any of the rare sunshine, I decided to pop down to Andover this afternoon and see if the Otters were out.. If not, I'd still be sat by a beautiful lake in the sunshine. A win / win situation.

Fortunately for the Otters, they had a very nice sleep this afternoon, but there is always something to see at Rooksbury. Perhaps in 'Ant & Dec' style -  the Otters couldn't be bothered to come out today, so sent their Little Otters...  in the form of a Water Vole. Honestly, I haven't been drinking..

So yeah, today's photographic subject were Water Voles.. One in particular who was eating along the river bank and running in an out of holes by the fast flowing river. He posed nicely a few times too.  

 

The other win was a slightly sun-burnt face, or was that wind-burn?..  Roll on Summer! (or at least Spring)

And here is a Hawfinch from last week.

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.

Whoosh, that was Summer!!

Moving to a Farm has been great, but I cant believe 7 months have gone past and I haven't had hardly ANY adventures, either locally or down the coast etc.

It is worryingly easy to sit here and do nothing.. Either chill with a few beers in the garden with neighbour Joe, or just relax and do nowt.. I'm actually an expert at the latter now... probably the first part too if the truth was known.

Anyhoo.. Its pretty much business as usual here. Probably been naughty and fed the birds all summer, but its been great watching the woodpeckers every day.. Maximum number has been 7!! After a few weeks of no visits, there are a pair now visiting again.
Migration has provided a Wheatear and Redstart in the paddocks. Still can't believe those 'garden ticks'..  Joe has seen Yellow Wag, Pied Flycatcher in the car park and Green Sandpiper over.. But he's an expert ;o)

So Autumn is here and the sunsets recently have been stunning to say the least. But the nights..  the nights are sooooo chilly, the woodburner is lit most evenings.. Living here isn't the cheapest, but for quality of life - very hard to beat :o)

The visiting Redstart, en route back to Africa.

The view from my cottage over the paddocks.

One of the many horses and ponies on the farm.

Last night's sunset.