Woodland walk near Chaffcombe

 This morning I was lucky enough to be invited on a walk through a private woodland near Chaffcombe. Although the weather was not sunny it was quite mild and the birds were singing enthusiastically, including Nuthatches, Chiffchaff, Coal Tits, Wrens, Robins and Song thrush as well as drumming Great Spotted Woodpeckers.
The main reason for the walk was to see the beautiful spread of Bluebells, but unfortunately they were barely out and the colour not as dramatic as we had hoped for.
Nevertheless there were a good number of other spring woodland flowers to be seen in this remnant of ancient woodland, as well as unusual lichen and fungi, and I have added a few photos here to demonstrate the variety.

Primroses amongst the wild garlic

Early Purple Orchid

Herb Paris

Toothwort

Wood Sorrel

Wood Anemone

Lungwort (Lichen)

Unusual fungi known as Alfred's cakes, with their "burnt offering" appearance,  which grow on dead trees

Alfred's cakes on an ash branch

Close up of Alfred's cakes

Nearby the wood there was a lovely area with Cowslips in full bloom, the first I have seen this year.

Lastly, whilst there were no butterflies on the wing today there was a very unusual "caterpillar"- what a way to end a truly lovely spring woodland walk!

Green woodpecker in the garden

As work continues at mum's (the bathroom project has proved trickier than expected) I am still relying on spotting birds in her back garden when I can't be spared  to go out for a walk. Still, luckily as mum has always fed "her" birds on a variety of food, from live mealworms to nuts and seed to fat balls, she attracts a good variety of birds too. She has recently had a male Blackcap feeding on the seed feeder and today, though not eating the food provided,  I was pleased to see a beautiful Green woodpecker just over the fence in a tree in her neighbours' garden. I suspect it had been attracted to the newly mown lawns as the ants, its favourite food, would be easier to  find. Unfortunately I didn't have my camera with me so got no photos on this occasion. Never mind, perhaps next time.
The funny thing is that on Saturday we went on a field trip to Arne RSPB reserve in Dorset and we kept hearing Green woodpeckers yaffling but we never got a sighting. Obviously we should have stayed in Combe!

Bluebells at last?

Bluebell in Scrapton Lane

After the excitement of seeing the first swallows in the parish and noting on the 14 th April both swallows and field fare as I walked across the field at Polerue, (something I do not recall happening before, as the latter should have keft for their breeding ground in Scandinavia before the former arrive for the summer) I was on the look out for my first Bluebell. At last, on the 17 th I spotted a very poor specimen in Scrapton Lane on the verge.

Perhaps the warmer weather that finally arrived this weekend, faltered on Sunday/Monday and reached the dizzy heights of 19C today means it will be joined by more soon.

Farmers have been busy muck spreading and rolling the grass pastures since the weather has been dry and very neat they look too!

 

Rolled fields between Stantway and Combe Wood Lane

 

Posted with Blogsy

Swallows have arrived!

We went to the Chew Valley Lake Bird Fair yesterday, mainly to look at camera gear, but also for a spot of bird watching. The weather was wet and windy for most of the day so there were very few small birds about, but we we were pleased to see good numbers of Sand and House Martins and Swallows, hawking for insects over the lake.
Clearly the change in wind direction had finally allowed good  numbers of these summer migrants to arrive for the breeding season. On the way home we also saw a few Swallows flying over the fields near Peasmarsh alongside the A358 so we can at least say they have arrived locally too!
We were also lucky to see a raft of four Velvet Scoter duck out on a very choppy lake at Chew. These birds are actually sea duck and are normally seen on the East coast of GB so the recent easterly winds have presumably blown them off course. The large expanse of water at Chew was probably a welcome sight and they chose to rest before continuing to their summer breeding sites in the far noth of Europe. http://www.rspb.org.uk/wildlife/birdguide/name/v/velvetscoter/index.aspx
The wet and windy weather continued today, so the only birding was to be done from the kitchen window. The Blue and Great tits were feeding on the seed, fat balls and nuts on the bird feeders, which no doubt was a necessity as the insects are being washed out of the air.
Let's hope the weather improves soon or another poor breeding season will befall our feathered friends yet again!.

Spring and winter still at odds

Yesterday morning, as we are still working at mum's,  I decided to get up early to have a walk as I feel I am missing out on getting my usual countryside "fix".
I went up to the top of Stantway and then along Holland's Wash Drove, which after being more or less unpassable in the wet weather, has finally dried out enough to venture along it without the fear of losing one's boots in the mud!
A few buzzards were soaring and a lone raven flew overhead  making its unmistakeable cronking call. Then I heard and, after some scanning the sky, saw my first Skylark of the season. What an uplifting sound it is and a real harbinger of spring as it flew ever higher, singing non stop to advertise itself to any possible mate. 
The odd thing was that in the next field there were a flock of Fieldfare feeding, a bird that should have headed off to their breeding grounds in Scandinavia by now, but, because of the cold and easterly winds, have delayed their departure so they are still around.

They are not the only winter birds still about as Redwing are also about, on various fields, such as the football field and school playing field, searching for food before they finally decide to leave us for another year. 

Lucky sighting!

Despite the improved weather this last weekend, a job we have promised to do for my mum has meant that I have not been able to get out for a walk and enjoy the sun. Our good deeds were rewarded though, as, when standing washing up,  I noticed something different in the holly bush at the top of her garden. Borrowing mum's binoculars to investigate I was amazed to see it was a tawny owl, sunning itself out of the wind on a sheltered branch. Mum was delighted to get such good views and I hastily dashed home for my camera, not really expecting it to be still be there on my return. To my surprise it was, and it allowed me to creep up the garden taking photos as though it posed for such events every day!

Sadly it had gone the next morning, but what a treat and the next day we saw a tiny Goldcrest as well as Chiff Chaff hopping about in the same bush, so, despite not being able to get out in the sun, we did at least have some good wildlife sightings!

Rooks in good voice!

The first week of April and the weather has continued to bring bitter easterly winds and hard frosts, although more sunshine than in March. 
The rooks are in full voice, cawing loudly in and around the various rookery's near the village now, such as at this particularly large one in Combe Wood.

Seen here on the left,  from the fields between Scrapton and the A30 and below, a close up from  Scrapton Lane.
The birds seem to be constantly bickering but as they are gregarious, it just seems to be par for the course!

Looking directly up from the footpath that passes almost below the rookery it is quite difficult  to spot the birds, but the noise alone advertises their presence! They continually fly back and forth with twigs to enlarge their untidy nests and will dive bomb any passing buzzard when it soars too close.