April part 14

My last entry for April and I've saved you something special. A video of Great Crested Grebes mating.!!

Great Created Grebe ( Podiceps cristatus) Only 42 pairs remained in England in 1860 due to the fashion of wearing feathers in hats. In 1891 the Society for the protection of Birds was formed and their numbers increased. The courtship display has been studied intensively and is famous for its elaborate postures and gestures. They nest in weeds by or in water. Laying 3-5 eggs. Feeds on small fish, mollusc's and vegetable matter.
 The month ends with sunshine but the wind makes it colder than it looks.

April 2011 part 13 gosh

|Bluebell wood part 2
Sitiing down to rest I spotted 2 flies mating so I took a picture as you do !

I think they are crane flies (Nephrotoma quaarifaria) 30 -40 mm Abundant May- September. The larva attacks roots of plants.
A red beetle walked passed.

Cardinal Beetle (Pyrochroa coccinea) 13-18mm A predatory beetle seen May- July. They feed on small animals under loose bark.

April 2011 part 12

Bluebell wood . The good weather has brought the bluebells out early this year. There is nothing more beautiful than the sights, smells and sounds of an English Bluebell Wood --in my opinion.

Bluebells (Endymion non-sciptus) This species is native to western Europe. It grows 20-50cm high and carpets woods with its purple/blue flowers.
Amongst the bluebells were dotted red campion.

Red Campion (Silene dioica) Grows in woods and hedgerows. Flowers May-June. Can be red or pink.
Campions are associated with snakes, the pounded seed being used to  treat snake bite. (I don't know how successfully. )

April part 11

nature reserve 17th
Pictures of Redshank mating.

Redshank ( Fringa Eotanus) Nests amongst grass in meadows nad inland coastal marshes. Lays 4 eggs Buff with dark brown spots. feeds on insects, small shellfish, worms, lugworms and some vegetable matter.
The male chases the female with his tail fanned out and head stretched forward, when she stops he raises his wings above his back and advances fluttering his wings.

April part 10

Nature reserve part 2
Ostercatchers gave us a flying display with three flying together in unison over the water before one lands close enough for a photo.

Ostercatcher ( Haematopus ostralegus)

63cm Black and white plumage with long orange beak which enables it to prize open shell fish and probes the mud for food. Seen at the shore and on lakes and rivers. lays 2-3 pale buff eggs with blotches. Feeds on mussels and other mollusc's , crustacea, worms and insects.

Canada Goose (Branta canaderisis) Present all year they are sociable birds nesting togrther close to marshes and pasture. Laying 5-6 dirty white eggs. Feeding on vegetation- chiefly grass and some insects.

Hawthorn or may(crataegus monogyna) a small spiny tree growing in hedgerows and at the edge of woods. white flowers grow in dense fragrant clusters and have purple stamens when leaves are out. The wood makes good charcoal.
                                      "Hedgerows all alive,
                                       With birds and gnats and large white butterflies.
                                      Which look as if the Mayflower had caught life
                                      and palpitated forth upon the wind....E.B. Browning

April part 9

Marsh Lane Nature Reserve 17th
From the first hide we managed to see a Lapwing and Wheatear.

Lapwing (Vanellus vanellus) Or peewit. Named after the sound of its song or lapping song of his wings during the aerial display of the courting male. They feed over farmland on insects and may join other waders on the coast. Lays 4 olive/buff eggs heavily marked with black.

                                          "Whizz goes the pewit o'er the ploughman's team.
                                            With many a whew and whirl and sudden scream...John Clare

Wheatear (oenenthe oenanthe ) A visitor here from March - October. Lives in open country, from high moors to the coast. Nests in holes in the ground or in walls and rocks. Lays 6 pale blue eggs. Feeds on insects an larvae, spiders, centipedes and snails.

April part 8

Kingsbury water park 15th
Black headed gulls skim across the water feeding on beetles.

Black-headed gull (larus ridibundus) His head is actually a chocolate brown colour in summer and white in winter, Very common both at the coast and inland. nesting in colonies. Lays 3 eggs April - July. It is a scavenger feeding on scraps, crabs, snails, worms and insects.

April 2011 part 7

Kingsbury water park

We saw this blue tit nesting in a most unusual place.
I found this pretty flower growing on a tree stump.

Ground Ivy (Glechoma hideracea) A species of the mint family flowering from March - May.

April 2011 part 6

Slimbridge
Although we saw lots of exotic birds I have only included 2 British birds for my blog. The Coot and the Morehen.

Coot (Fulica atra) Aggressive birds that kick up spray if attacked. They prefer open stretches of water. The lay 6-9 buff eggs with black spots. They eat water plants, corn, seeds, small fish, newts, tadpoles adn other water insects.

Morehen (Gallinula chloropus) is 2 inches smaller than the Coot and has a red forehead and beak. Swims with a jerky motion flicking its tail as it goes. Common by fresh water and marches. lays 5-11 buff eggs. Eats fruit, seed water weed and insects.

April 2011 part 5

Gloucester part 3
We catch a glimpse of a Chiffchaff hard to identify except for its song. "Chiff-chaff, chiff-chaff. After labour, rest I have... Anthony Rye

Chiffchaff ( Phylloscopus collybita). Song gives bird its name. found in woodland, parks and gardens. Makes a nest of grass, feathers and moss its lays 6-7 eggs in May. Feeds on small insects- mainly caterpillars gnats and midges.

April 2011 part 4

Gloucester part 2
 Orange tip butterflies flutter on the field opposite the cottage.

. Orange tip (Anthocharis cadamines) 33-48mm The butterflies of a single generation emerge in March. Found in hedgerows and meadows. The caterpillar is green with black spots and white lines. It feeds on the cuckoo flower.

Cuckoo flower (Cardamine protensis). Grows in damp places by streams. Also known as lady's smock. Flowers can be lilac, pink or white seen between April-June.

April part 3

Gloustershire
Cowslips growing in the garden. As they are one of my Mums favourite flowers I took a picture.

Cowslip ( Primula veris) grows in pasture in the wild. The flowers are pale - deep yellow with orange throat petals joined at the base with tubes with 5 notched lobes . flowering April -May.
At the cottage we seem to have a pair of blue tits that think they are woodpeckers. They disappear into a nest box and tap away until they eventually emerge with a curly piece of wood and fly off.

They also can be seen here collecting more nest material from a small willow tree. We watched for quite a while and it seemed to be very hard work but it was comical too watch as they tugged and pulled and hung upside down.

April 2011 part 2

3rd  Hedgehog in garden for the first time this year.
7th The hedgehog is sleeping in the box we put out last year.
9th- 15th Holiday in Gloustershire.
We arrive on the same day as the first swallows of spring according to the man who opens the road bridge across the canal.

Here they are swooping down on the estuary for their evening meal.
On our first day we see a pair of buzzards in a tree near the cottage. In the field opposite a buzzard catches something on the ground but has to abandon it as he can't take off.

 Mute swans swim by on the river, a robin drops by and a sparrow is collecting nesting material.

April 2011 part 1

1st Blustery but sunny.
2nd Lots of bird song and buds on the trees and shrubs. I was just thinking how beautiful everything was when all went quiet and a Sparrowhawk landed on the fence looking ever bit the hunter. He didn't get a meal today.

March 2011 part7

28th Sunny again after  a cold weekend . starlings squabbling in garden  and a robin is chasing everything else in the garden away. Very territorial.
31st My celandine's seem to be sending up double flowers on some of the plants. Together with the violets they are spreading beautifully over the gravel. March goes out on a blustery note but it has been the driest in 50 years. Enjoy the last of my pictures for this month. ( my husband took this sequence by the river).

March 2011 part 6

17th First butterfly of the year by the river to far away to identify. 2 dunnocks in garden.
23rd Yellow Brimstone butterfly again by the river came tantalisingly close only to flit over the river and out of reach of my camera.
25th On a visit to Moms and Dads found ladybirds on an old favourite bush of theirs, a peacock butterfly and a comma butterfly.

Comma (Polygonia c-album) 44-54mm  The 2nd broad of the year hibernates and reappears in March/April. Found in gardens, hedgerows and orchards. Like so many butterflies they like buddleia. The caterpillar is black with white or yellow spines and lives on nettles.

March 2011 part 5

17th I can plant my foot on 12 Daises now so it must be spring and as if to confirm I come across " a bunch of golden daffodils."

 The white blossom on the Blackthorn is looking beautiful. Which picture do you like best?

 

Blackthorn or Sloe blossom (Prunus Spiriosa) Widespread in Europe on hedgerows and waste ground. Flowers: 5 white petals with long orange tipped stamens opening before the leaves. fruit is purple black when ripe and is used for wine, jellies, jams and flavouring gin.

March 2011 part 4

12th Cloudy with sunny intervals. My tete-tete daffodils are flowering but something is eating the petals!
 My yellow celandine are also looking good and have spread over the gravel. They open in the sun and track its course. The female blackbird keeps chasing off the male who is coming close to get the mealworms. As I go inside a wren appears.

                                              "There's a little brown job a hardly see,
                                                 She moves around so secretly,
                                              But when Jenny Wren sings her song
                                               She seems to sing it just for me."
                                                                                  P.Beach

March 2011 part 3

6th Another walk along the river as it is a sunny day. Today we see blue tits, blackbirds, chaffinch, goldfinch, magpies ( 6 for gold the saying says). Crows building a nest, pussy willow in bloom on the trees, mallards, pigeons and lots of green shoots starting to push up through the soil. We also see a small bird in a bush which turns out to be a Goldcrest. My first sighting.

Goldcrest (Regulus regulus) Europe's smallest bird. Found in coniferous and broadleaved woodland. They eat small insects. Builds a basket like nest from moss and spiders webs. They lay 7-10 eggs between April - June.
"And the tiny Goldcrest, like a flittermouse. Cheeps in the swarthy cedar's topmost boughs.  
                                                                                                                       F. Brett Young

March 2011 part 2

4th Sunny day and a trip to the bridge on the river. A male mallard was having a wash flapping his wings about.

Mallard or wild duck (Anus platyrhyrichas)
Amazing green colour on head of male. females are duller in colour. Lays 8-14 pale green eggs. They eat almost anything.
A gang of noisy sparrows hid amongst the brambles and longtailed tits fluttered around.

                               "A troop of birds on laughing wings,
                                 Came tumbling in loops and strings,
                                        See! See! See! Their leader cried.
                                                        Anthony Rye

March 2011 part 1

1st Cloudy and cold all day.
2nd Cloudy again . Within 30mins of putting out fresh food the garden has been visited by 2 male blackbirds, cole tit, blue tit, sparrows, great spotted woodpecker and a robin.

                                               "Art thou the bird whom man loves best,
                                               The proud bird with the scarlet breast?
                                                     Our little English Robin."    
                                                              William Wordsworth