Woodcock in the murk



Another calm, mild, grey and murky day here in north Surrey. The birdlife across Walton Downs (above) was largely as anonymous as the weather, although I did flush a Woodcock from a strip of woodland - species number 106 for the 'mini-uber patch' year list (111.5% of the target). This may even be enough to give Mr. Sexton and his Northumbrian list a bit of a run for his money.

The Woodland Trust have been busy, planting up a further field with saplings for the Millennium Wood project, along with the erection of a bench that neatly conveys the reserves aim of commemorating all those who fell during World War One.


Comments

Simon Douglas Thompson said…
I like the Focker Eindecker on the bench
19 December 2016 at 12:43
Steve Gale said…
Aircraft identification (of any vintage) is beyond me Simon
19 December 2016 at 12:52
Mick Lacey said…
Hopefully the tree planting won't affect any of your beloved arable weeds Steve?
19 December 2016 at 21:22
Steve Gale said…
Well Mick, thereby hangs a tale. The arable weeds had survived because a wide strip was left around the field edges because shooters had rights over the land and put down pheasants. This reduced grasses and allowed the rare plants to survive. Now the shooters have gone, the strips have largely gone and grasses have taken over. It doesn't look good...
19 December 2016 at 22:07
Dylan Wrathall said…
That beautiful bench does, indeed, make a statement about the Millennium Wood Project - it's a superb piece of furniture and does justice to the cause. As for the id of the planes depicted, like you Steve, I wouldn't have a clue?
19 December 2016 at 23:06
Steve Gale said…
We're better off sticking to birds and fish Dyl!
20 December 2016 at 08:19
Factor said…
Happy birthday Steve!
20 December 2016 at 14:20
Steve Gale said…
Thanks Neil. Time marches onward...
20 December 2016 at 17:08
Mick Lacey said…
What a shame Steve, but I suspected that might be the case. I suppose rows of saplings are easy conservation compared to arable weeds which need annual disturbance. Great Blog by the way.
20 December 2016 at 17:52
Steve Gale said…
Thanks Mick. The arable weed situation is not yet catastrophic, but is certainly uncertain.
20 December 2016 at 18:36
Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Goldfinches and Lavender

Image
We have three medium-sized Lavender bushes in our back garden. Throughout the summer the flowers (which last for several months) are a magnet for insects and give off a most restful aroma. As tempting as it is to cut the dead stems in the autumn, we always leave them, as we know that during the late winter we will get visitors to feed on the seed heads... This video was taken from the kitchen window this morning. We will normally see one or two birds over a few days, but have had up to 14 at once. We never tire of watching them. Lavender is a wonderful plant to have in the garden, with year round natural history benefits. So what are you waiting for? They are readily available at a garden centre close to you right now! There is an historic association with Lavender in this part of northern Surrey and south London. Lavender fields have been harvested for many years, with one particular field close to Woodmansterne being very popular with day trippers. A significant proportion o
Read more

To tell it like it is, or not...

Image
I am grateful to Gavin Haig (Not Quite Scilly) who drew my attention to an opinion piece, penned by Matt Phelps, which appeared in the November issue of 'Birdwatch' magazine, entitled 'Positive Approach', which I have now read. In it, he suggests that there is too much negativity being posted on social media regarding the state of our birding world, which is then acting as a deterrent towards a younger generation in adopting conservation and wildlife study. He also suggests that a lot of this negativity is being generated by older birders, and that these old timers keep banging on about the 'good old days' which isn't helpful in encouraging the youth to pick up a pair of binoculars and get out into the field. Does he have a point? Now, I am undeniably an older birder, and I am also guilty of having posted, blogged, written and spoken about the slump in bird and invertebrate numbers. I also like nothing better than to revisit my notebooks and share in the hi
Read more

Time to reflect

I normally come up with the title for a post after I have written it. If I'm feeling creative it will be some sort of play on words, or if I'm not then an all-encompassing word or two will do. As for this particular post, and with a few things to discuss, I've written the title first, inspired by having just read a feature about musicians who have used the title of an album as the starting point for their creative exercise. Here goes... Firstly, blogs - yes, this very medium that I am writing in and you are reading from. - what content they derive, the reason that the content exists and what the writer should (or should not) expect from any reader that visits the blog. This was brought into sharp focus by a series of posts to be found here, at Jono Lethbridge's excellent 'Wansted Birder'.   His blogging output has recently included detailed and entertaining reports on his recent overseas trips which have received a bit of flak from certain quarters. None of us b
Read more