Sunday 14 February 2016

A weekend at the Lodge

Rather than disappear off for the birds I let them come to me this weekend. Nothing that exotic but  both Saturday and Sunday morning down Maple Lodge did yield one or two nice birds.
Saturday morning was the work party but I had about an hour wandering around first. It was pretty bleak and cold and definitely not spring like. Sunday was with Judith and the weather was a bit brighter but still pretty cold.
There were good numbers of redwings in the plantation area feeding up before they start their journey back up North.

The reed bed on Sunday was looking nice in the weak sunshine but it will be a few weeks yet till it resounds to the songs of the reed and sedge warblers.

The only birds showing any signs of active it was this wren from Rotunda hide enjoying the sun on Sunday.


There isn't much sign of colour yet, a few primroses around but the only flowers were a few trees with blossom and some clumps of snowdrops, these ones being in the band owl meadow.



The main action on both days though was from the Clubhouse his, with lots of visit to the bird feeders, even from coots and moorhens.




The feeders themselves had a steady stream of birds. Nothing rare or unusual but nice to see all the same.
The light on Sunday was much better especially for this female chaffinch.

 The great spotted woodpeckers always give a lovely splash of colour when they come in to the nuts. 

They're even nicer when you can get them against a more natural background though.



One of my favourite though are the long-tailed tits. They always seem to have "attitude" and their calls when they come along in their flocks are joyful!





Elsewhere the goldcrests were busy in the conifers, there were at least two pairs of treecreepers showing well, over 30 wigeon were on Lynsters lake and both little and great-crested grebes were showing amorous signs opposite Long Hedge hide.

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