Psilos
Bird Journal |
Thursday May
11th 2006 |
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"Under
the hot spring sun" |
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Today it certainly feels like
summer is not far away. Over the last week the trees have burst in to
life and everywhere it is green and fresh. The sky is blue with not
a cloud in sight, no real breeze and beautifully warm and sunny. My
plan is to take a picnic and go and sit and watch the terns. Upon arrival
it is evident that the birds are enjoying the sun too as bird song can
be heard everywhere. The loudest of all are the terns. Where ever you
go in the reserve you can hear them and usually see them as they fly
up and down fishing. Before going to sit with the terns though I decide
to take a walk all the way round the main lake to see what else is around. |
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My attentions first got to
the small lake. There is still one male ruddy duck around. Resplendant
in his breeding colours he is displaying, lifting his tail, growling
and with his head down, blowing bubbles in the water. It seems though
that there arent any females around to hear him. Maybe the two from
two days ago are still around and in the reeds where I cant see them. |
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Apart from the ruddy duck and
the sitting Mute swan the small lake was virtually deserted. Further
along the path I can hear a willow warbler singing and it doesnt take
me long to find it. This warbler did not seem ot mind my presence but
getting a photo was a different matter as there were too many branches
in the way. Eventually I found an angle that i could shoot through but
it was far from ideal and quickly I gave up and went on my way. |
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Along the back stretch of the
lake there are lots of hawthorne hedgerows, scrub and mature trees and
the sound of small birds were everywhere. Walking across a wildflower
meadow that was pink with ladies smock I heard a very different sound.
It was the sound of two stones being knocked together and I knew at
once that I was listening to a warbler of some kind. The alarm call
of warblers can be very similar and I wasnt sure which it was so I approached
very slowly. Very quickly I saw them and my excitement grew. Blackcaps
are a relatively common warbler but they are very elusive and rarely
seen well. What I was looking at what was the female and she is more
elusive still. The male was bolder and I quickly got a clear shot of
him but the female lurked where it was rather dark and that proved more
of a problem. Still in the end I waited and watched and was pleased
when finally I got a clear if somewhat poor quality shot of her. |
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Clearing the woods I walked
all the way round the lake without seeing much besides mallards and
the usual collection of hybrid geese. In the skies I could hear the
screech of swifts and flying low over the water House martins and the
occasional swallow hawked for insects. Reaching the spit near the terns
I came across a single female house sparrow having a dust bath on the
path. Out in the field and around my house I dont get much chance to
these common birds but there is a small population here and so I enjoyed
watching them. |
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Now I had come all the way
round and had arrived at my final destination. On the grassy spit that
overlooks the breeding raft of the terns. So I got out my mat and my
sandwiches and settled myself down to watch the terns for the rest of
the afternoon. Ahhh this is the life..... |
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As well as watching the terns
I have also been watching a pair of coots nesting in a bush right alongside
the raft. The male makes me laugh. He is a very hard worker but he is
easily spooked and can often be seen runing quickly over the water,
his little legs going like pistons to bring twigs back to the nest.
At one time I had the female at my feet feeding and the male having
seen her from a considerable distance came speeding across the lake
and almost crashed into me such was his haste to get there. The female
then immediatly put her head down in the submissive role and allowed
him to mount her. He almost missed his chance there! Now my attention
is fully on the terns..... |
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