December 2010 - Lakeside still frozen!

Friday 31st: After dropping my sister-in-law off at the railway station I motored on over to the Lakeside to see if anything interesting was about. The thaw that started a few days ago has got rid of any lingering snow but the ice is still covering the lake and substantially thick, although in places, the very slow thaw has begun.

So there are groups of waterfowl spread out on the ice, some slipping as they precariously waddled over the ice. A large flock of Mute Swans and Canada Geese are camped-out by the beach and get fed by people from time-to-time. Black-headed Gulls, Coots and Mallards also add to the throng.

This morning, the mist was lying low and heavy on the lake and still hadn't lifted by 11:30am when I left for home. Although the air is damp, the temperature has risen a few degrees... it's now a balmy +4°c! Over on the far side of the lake, not noted for being seen on the here, were a pair of Shovelers which made a slippery landing but departed after 5 minutes. A small group of Teal were huddled together in a group on the stadium-side of the lake, which is also unusual. Judging by the ice, and although there are large cracks, it still appears to be quite thick and I suspect that it will need another few days of moderate temperatures to melt the ice.

On the way back home, I stopped-off at Cantley Park... nothing much doing there either! So just to get a record snap, I grabbed a photo of the iced-pond.

December 2010: Donny Lakeside Frozen

Sunday 26th: The exceptionally cold weather is unrelentless! Temperatures are still well below zero and as a consequence, the fish pond in the back garden has been frozen for days now. This morning, one or two birds ran across the ice covering the pond and when a Pied Wagtail did the same, Mel took this snap prior to it having a cold bath!

The Lakeside, where a variety of waterfowl hang out, has completely frozen over and with a thickness of about 2 - 3 inches! I knew that some of it was frozen but not as much as I saw! I drive past the Lakeside on my way to work each morning and the light dusting of snow had fallen onto the ice and itself frozen.

The grassland around the lake that the geese use is rock hard with no tufts of grass to be eaten. Canada Geese, Black-headed Gulls and various other waterfowl walked the ice in search of food. Later in the coming week a thaw should eat into the icy conditions.

December 2010 - Tame female Blackbird dies.

Friday 17th: Nature is harsh! A female Blackbird that we affectionately called "Nice Misses", died from wounds inflicted by a Sparrowhawk.

She was attacked on Thursday afternoon. Melanie heard her cries as she was stuck in a buddleia bush. How she got there, we will never know. Judging by the wounds on the bird, they were most definitely inflicted by a bird-of-prey and the most common one in this area is the Sparrowhawk which has constantly been visiting the garden. Unusually either the Blackbird had escaped the Sparrowhawks' grip or the Sparrowhawk had been scared-off by something and somehow the Blackbird managed to wedge herself in the leafless bush.

"Nice-Misses" was the second bird to start entering the kitchen to eat mealworms after watching a Robin initiate this habit back in 2008. But she had been around in the garden long before that (we have records going back to 2004) and before she actually came into the kitchen, she would always hang around the back door for mealworms. For two years in succession she built a nest in the ivy attached to the fence directly by the back door and raised a total of 6 known fledglings

Her original mate was the male Blackbird that himself was attacked by a Sparrowhawk back in September 2009, but who subsequently survived but has not been seen since April of this year. Her last mate still spends time in the garden and he too continues to come into the kitchen for a feast of mealworms and other delights.

December 2010 - Sparrowhawk eats House Sparrow

Tuesday 14th: This afternoon I disturbed a Sparrowhawk in our garden. I assumed that it flew away but hen I looked out of the window upstairs, I saw the raptor stood on the empty aviary in the next garden, devouring the dead House Sparrow that it caught. It took the Sparrowhawk approximately 40 minutes to tear and eat the carcass. Afterwards, it cleaned its beak and flew off towards the local wood.



Wednesday 15th: This same male Sparrowhawk has been visiting the garden several times today. During one of it's forays, I managed to get some video of it with a mouse.

December 2010 - Bittern at Potteric Carr YWT

Friday 10th: Wow! What a day! An early start at a snowy Potteric Carr. Snow that fell in the area over a week ago was still lying deeply over all the nature reserve. All the marshes and lakes were totally frozen with no waterfowl at all (Ducks, Geese etc) to be seen. I have never seen it like this before. Where are all the birds? Well the only birds to be seen were the usual garden & woodland variety in small numbers, namely; Bullfinches, Chaffinches, Siskins, Goldfiches, Reed Buntings, Blackbird, Mistle & Song Thrush, Redwings, Pheasants, a few Moorehens, two Water rails and one BITTERN. Yes, Bittern, these are very elusive waders, part of the Heron family, that spend most of their time skulking amongst the reedbeds. During the harsh weather, especially when the lakes are frozen, this is the best time to see Bitterns as they tend to come out into the open more.

Sandra and myself happened to go into Willow Pool hide, expecting to see the usual song birds gathered around the feeders. What greeted us when we opened the door to the hide were the hushed words, "Bittern!" A mass of birding-paparazzi and cameras with lenses as long as your arm! The target in question was not 500 metres away hidden in a mass of reeds, but 10 metres away amongst the frost ravaged undergrowth!

It was close but looking at it through a fellow birders' scope was just fantastic! This is not an every day occurrence, these are amongst the rarest native birds in the country. I've been lucky enough to have seen Bitterns before but always at a distance and heavily camouflaged amidst a mass of reeds! But it got better, the bird came out of the undergrowth and as it slowly walked through the snow, the birding-paparazzi let loose, the sound of cameras working furiously (mine included) to capture these treasured images. It stood there for a while, posing like a celebrity-starlet while the volley from the cameras continued. It then made ready, launched itself into the air and its huge wings took it leisurely gliding off to the far side of the frozen lake. Afterwards the birders started congratulating each other and checking photos, one even chirped, "Luck's in today, think I'll buy a Lottery ticket". A cuppa was needed now to relax, if nothing else showed today then seeing this was worth the free entry..... thanks Potteric Carr!

Well nothing much did happen for the rest of the day. Except that both I and Sandra yomped through the snow and around the rest of the NR, getting extremely wet boots and feet, only seeing the occasional bird. Tired after trekking through the snow, we departed just before the sun set.

December 2010 - Snow and more snow!

Wednesday 1st: The snow fell relentlessly last night and we awoke this morning to a depth of 13 inches! As you can see by the amount of snow around the car, I didn't get to work! In fact hardly anybody did, in common with the rest of South Yorkshire. The roads were impassable and nothing was moving. Glad we took the decision to bring the Hedgehogs inside, they could never have survived this and I suspect that many wild Hedgehogs will perish. It is bitterly cold! Our Hedgehogs are content to be in the warm and are oblivious to the weather outside.

Blast from the past - Birthday Falcons!

21st May 2008: A surprise birthday present for me today. Melanie took me on a mystery tour to deepest Lincolnshire. For what, I knew not? It was a surprise right up to the moment I parked the car at a remote house on the Lincolnshire plains. for the surprise was an afternoon at a Falconry and even better, we get to fly the raptors.

This was a private session with just Melanie and myself there. The husband and wife team of Falconer's gave us a talk about the birds that they have; 2x Harris Hawks, an Eagle Owl and a Lanner Falcon. All had been reared from the egg and so were fairly humanised. All of them were large birds and when the time came to hold one of them... heavy too!

Over in the flat, flat fields, we were given a flying display by one of the Harris Hawks and very impressive it was too. Though we were a bit worried and so was the Falconer when "Bovis", the Harris Hawk went and perched on an enormous hedge and refused to return even after repeated calls. Eventually the Falconer had to go over to the hedge and retrieve "Bovis".

Both Mel and I had an opportunity to fly "Bovis" and to have him fly direct towards your arm and then at the last moment slam on the air-brakes as he lands on your gloved hand, is very impressive! What a birthday present.... thanks Mel!

November 2010 - Old Moor RSPB in the snow

Sunday 28th: It was bitterly cold today! With overnight temperatures dropping to -7, the snow from last Friday night, froze. Still, undeterred, a trip out to Lakeside and Old Moor RSPB was the plan. But first a visit over to the town centre Tesco where there was a faint chance of seeing Waxwings. Unfortunately, no sign at all of the elusive bird that has spread across the country this autumn. It seems that the Doncaster area is a no-go zone for these brightly coloured Scandinavian birds! We did see a Song Thrush perched on top of the clock tower spire above the store and a few Blackbirds, Robin and various members of the Tit family.

So onto Donny Lakeside in search of a Black Redstart that had been seen there yesterday. Well... you guessed, no sign at all. What we did catch sight of, though purely by accident and if we had been paying attention, we would have got a good close view, was a Kingfisher! It had been perched close to us and we watched as it flew at low-level across the surface of the lake to the other shore. A Cormorant perched on a buoy in the middle of the lake, with its beak raised to the sky with indifference! Plenty of other waterfowl; Canada Geese, Mute Swans, Tufted Ducks, Mallards and Pochards.... and of course, the ever-present Black-headed Gulls standing on the frozen lake along with 2 Herring Gulls... oh, and... the Coots.

A twenty minute drive over to Old Moor RSPB through the snowy countryside. It was perishingly cold! At the garden hide were many song birds namely Greenfinch, Chaffinch, Bulfinch, Blue Tits, Great Tits and Long-tailed Tits.

A couple of Pheasants were also in attendance. Over at the Tree Sparrow farm Sandra and myself saw at least two Yellowhammers, with several Tree Sparrows, Chaffinches and several Magpies.

The lakes were frozen and what water fowl were there, were massed together over where the water was still ice-free. Quite a few Wigeon could be seen together with Mallards, 8 Goosanders. a small flock of Golden Plover stood on the ice in a long line facing into the bitting wind.

Interspersed were with the Golden Plover were Lapwings. A fellow birder pointed-out a Peregrine Falcon perched high on a pylon. Well even through the scope I couldn't identify it as it was so far away as the photo shows. But he assured us that it was indeed a Peregrine Falcon.
Walking back to get a cuppa, someone shouted, "Waxwings!" We all looked up but again we couldn't be sure. Now for that hot cuppa tea and home! Though my toes and fingers were frozen... it was a good day out.

November 2010 - House Hedgehogs!

Sunday 28th: Last Thursday evening, Melanie moved the 3 Hedgehogs into the house and the warm... and not a moment too soon! Because Friday night saw a deluge of snowfall and overnight temperatures plummeting to -7! It had been getting steadily colder for a few days before and as they hadn't gone into hibernation and were losing weight, we took the precaution of bringing them into the house. They will stay here for as long as it takes during this cold-snap and probably longer. Though all 3 are together in one large penned area, after initial grumbles, they seem to have accepted the close proximity of each other and appear content. All of them sleep all day and do not wake until late at night when they become active for a short while, eat and drink and go back to sleep. Daytime temperatures outside are sub-zero and this is not good for their health. If the weather continues like this, I can imagine that it will have a detrimental effect on any Hedgehogs out in the wild. Saturday night and temperatures were again below zero with a very hard frost!