Egyptian invasion

7 Nov 2009
I could hear them, but couldn't see them...... lots of honking and nothing on the pond in the back field, but then a quick look to the right and there they were, blimey ...... fifty three of them !

a field of Egyptian Geese - but not for long, a quick thirty minutes of rushing

about and off they went leaving just two.....

and here are the faithful with accompanying Moorhen and Magpie

a quick bit of display to ward off any intruders

Woodpecker sex......

5 Nov 2009 (early morning)

Two Great Spotted Woodpeckers in the garden this morning as it got light, a male and a female. In trying to show Tom the difference between the two I had to take some photos as they were moving around too much for him to see properly. So here it is.

This is the male with red on the back of his head and a black band going round to it's throat which rules out Syrian Woodpecker !! (ho ho)

and this is the female, as usual duller, with all black on the back of the head, no red.

Tom is now an expert (well for 10 minutes anyway)

a coastal wandering....

29 October 2009
a trip up to Wells for a birthday meal with Tom and Summaera, allowed the chance of a few hours birding at Titchwell. And..........just for a change the Bearded Tits were coming out into the open, not by any means their normal behaviour, though at this time of the year if it's a still day then you can be lucky and on this particular morning a superb male came out to show off .

Then it was a walk down to the beach via the new hide, which has been constructed by the RSPB in such a way as to ensure no one can use a hide clamp ! Have the designers ever been birdwatching ? The beach was fairly deserted for a school half term and this Little Egret was reasonably confiding and trying to jump on the back of Oystercatchers

I'm all fluffed up....ur...hun...hun.......

Little Egret with Oystercatchers and half a Knot in backbround

and on the final day of an amazingly unseasonal mildness this Red Admiral was in the garden and rested a while on our duck, strange to think that dragonflies and butterflies are around as we enter November...

And the beet goes on........

October 2009

Much time spent in the garden recently preparing for the autumn, even though it's so mild. Just a few insect ravaged brassicas waiting for the compost heap and these beetroots, last batch of a super 09 crop.

Birds visiting the garden have slowed down a bit, presumably plenty of wild food outside our patch to be had, but the goldfinches remain loyal.

as does the Great spotted Woodpecker which, with the Jays, can empty one peanut feeder in two days

and unfortunately so do the moles which have been causing havoc with what used to be a lawn, I have managed to identify their fortress which is a huge molehill and by the looks of it contains several thousand of the pesky little chaps... still you know what the farmers say, always best to see them at the six bells, 6am noon, 6pm and midnight.