Wild Wandering
Habitats and Tree Hopping
A glorious day weather wise on Tuesday so I rolled my sleeves up and got stuck into some planting and general work around the paddock. All the trees are now in bud. In the small orchard area, I have 12 Trees. The trees are a mix of fruit and flowering varieties. The first one to blossom is usually the Farleigh Damson tree. A beautiful double blossom of blushed pink and white. The Bumble Bees always appear on cue and start gathering from the flowers. The white-tailed Bumble Bee is probably my most common resident. This is also the time of year I change tack (and lens) and try to get a few close ups of our insect friends. Flowers too, wild and garden, are also on my agenda. It’s surprisingly difficult to photograph flowers because of the usually single colour of say the Daffodil. This makes for sometimes a bland looking shot, so you must get creative. I love trying.
After the main task of the day was finished I decided to walk around the old woods and see if anything was around there. There are rumours of a Muntjac Deer being around the area now. I think I have spotted him once, but he was a long way off. Muntjacs’ seem to prefer dusk to come out and forage for their food. They are different in looks and size to the regular deer and can be mistaken for a large dog from a distance. However, on my walk today there was no sign of him.
Some of the trees around us are upward of 100/150 years old and so are a great habitat for Woodpecker (Green and Greater Spotted) and I always hear them on my travels and today was no exception. The corner of the wood runs down to the river bank and through my binoculars I could see there was nothing of any note on the river and quarry, so I cut back across the field to return up in the opposite direction along the woods edge.
I spotted at first what I thought were Long Tailed Tits darting around in the old trees. But again, the binoculars came into their own. As soon as I fixed upon the birds I could see they were in fact Tree Creepers. There were two of them scurrying around in their familiar fashion. Keeping close the to the tree trunk and probing with their hook like beaks for insects. I approached the area with much caution with my camera at the ready. Tree Creepers are very erratic movers so photographing them is a challenge. On arrival at the base of the trees they were still actively feeding, and I stood patiently trying to get a clear line to focus on the birds. The Trees were so thick with branches it was proving very difficult. I stood for about thirty minutes but to no avail and then suddenly they were gone. My initial disappointment was tempered by the fact I had discovered they were still there and there were two of them. I will return.
On my return across the fields a flock of about 60 or so Fieldfare and Redwing with a scattering of Starlings intermingled rose up and chattered their way to the nearest tree. This is a game we always play. I stand still, the birds come down. I walk forward the birds rise to the next tree. I call it tree hopping. I have followed a flock like this for a bout a mile before and they never allow me to get closer than about 50mtrs before off they go. The Fieldfare is such a distinctive member of the Thrush family with its grey head and purply red wings and spotted breast. Beautiful in the air too. A very confident and alert bird. Its diagnostic running about in the fields in groups before rising and moving on about 10mtrs. The group moves in a staggered formation. A sort of ‘rolling ‘across the fields movement.
No photos of note today but habitats and areas noted. Kestrel boxes also checked for any sign of habitation. None yet.
Maybe no photos but very positive for the future.
Till tomorrow
