Psilos
Bird Journal |
Saturday May
2nd 2008 |
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"On
silver mere" |
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Today the mere is a very different
place. Summer birds have long since replaced winter and a balmy calm
replaces a wind that blew persistently as we arrived. There is a strange
mid light to the sky, neither sunny or grey and it reflects in the water
below to give a beautifully flat silver lake. |
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Bird numbers are never high
in summer and mostly they are spread out and distant. Close in front
of the hide a pair of Shoveler dabble and feed. A lone female Pochard
and a pair of Pintail are the only winter ducks in evidence. Pink footed
geese linger in small number. Without a volume of birds to spook them
they are tamer and come in closer though there is a hesitancy and uncertainty
about them. After the thousands of birds that were here only months
before they look lost. Maybe they are. Maybe they too should be up north
breeding. I am pretty sure they soon too will be gone. |
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There are not so
many Avocets around today and quickly scanning the mere I see only single
birds scattered distantly. Sitting patiently though I was rewarded and
had to act quickly as a lone Avocet flew in straight and low and landed
reasonably close by. He spent a good long time feeding and preening
before settling down for a contented sleep. |
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The mere on first look may
appear deserted but there are still pleny of antics to be seen. Redshanks
and Oystercatchers fly up and down calling and feeding. Lapwings swoop
and dive in their spectacular aerial display and Shelducks constantly
fight and squabble amongst themselves. Lesser black backed gull sedately
fly back and forth, opportunistic and searching for easy pickings but
today they seem to be out of luck. |
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Everywhere Goldfinches could
be heard calling, their bubbling song filling the air. The high bushes
are full of nests and activity. I saw my first fledgling of the year,
a baby Chaffinch, very newly fledged and being fed by its parents. I
then went in search of the Chaffinch nest I found two weeks ago to see
how things had progressed but was gutted when I found it destroyed and
scattered in bits upon the ground. At such a height I can only assume
it was ravaged by Magpies or some such bird. |
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Back in the park and the number
of Hawaiian goose goslings has tumbled alarmingly. Now I can only find
two broods. I dont know what could have happened to them as they were
doing so well and predation is low where they are kept. They really
dont seem to have done so well this year. |
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Returning to the visitor centre
I found this small vole sitting outside. He never scurried off when
I went up close and I dont think he was so well. poor thing...A rather
sad end to a beautiful day. |
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