More Lardies

Following on from yesterdays update, I woke this morning like most of you did to find a white out. Spring is certainly here (I don't think) I thought it best to go down the hide and put some food down, its tough for the birds at the minute. So plenty of wild bird food, sunflower hearts, peanuts and a nice half of Squirrel for the Buzzards. It was bitterly cold and I did not intend staying long, but when the birds start to come it is difficult to drag yourself away. It was good fun watching the continuos struggles as the birds tried to out do each other and exert their authority over their rivals. After about an hour a smile came to my face, the reason was because our Moorhen has a new mate. You may recall how I found one of the pair dead, probably killed by a Sparrow Hawk, It could be this new mate is one of last years offspring.

Happy couple.

Plenty of photo opportunities of the usual species, and I took quite a few, but this next image I really like.

Chaffinch

My time is never wasted while the Peckers are about and they were great fun today, so I make no apologies for posting another video clip of them. I will try not to get too boring with these, but they are difficult to ignore, I hope you agree.

Lard Arses

Well you don'r need me to tell you how bad the weather is/has been, it really is starting to get me down now. My plans to photograph the Hares is on the back burner, they are keeping their heads down, Spring is delayed I'm afraid. I did venture down my hide yesterday for a few hours though, there were plenty of the usual species about and the bickering between them is certainly getting to fever pitch as they each try to dominate the pecking order. Plenty of signs about that tell me they are pairing up and looking for territories also, I even found a pair of Long-Tailed tits in the process of building a nest, I will try and bring more of that to you soon. There were two Buzzards flying low over the patch when I arrived, but as usual they drifted off as I walked to my hide. Shame really as I had just stopped to pick up a rabbit road kill for them. 

I put some food around my feeding station and sat back to see what came to visit, it wasn't long before the Greater Spotted Woodpeckers paid a visit, flitting between the lard and the peanuts.

GSW

Here is a short video showing what they were up to. Lard arses.

What I did notice was two different females, I am guessing that these might be the chicks from last breeding season, I hope so anyway. At one point there were three GSW's feeding at one time so its looking good for their breeding programme down the patch this year.

It was interesting watching them with the peanuts, if they took one of the free offering, i.e. a whole nut, they would instantly fly away to a favourite tree behind the pond in canal spinney and wedge it into a crack in the tree eat it that way.

Whole nut.

If they had taken a piece from the nut feeder they would lodge it into a self created ledge so they could peck at it better. I know I have not explained that too well, but from the following still image and the next video clip you will see exactly what I mean.

I hope to bring you more images and video of  these wonderful birds throughout the coming season and hopefully their chicks.

Just as I was about to pack up a Wren appeared after just having a bath in the pond, it sat preening a while before having a forage around for food.

Jenny

Here is a short video clip of my new friend.

I decided to look at a Little Owl box I had sited last year on my way back to the car, last year a Great tit nested in it can you believe, I was hoping for better this year.

The Little Owl box.

You can see from the scratching etc below the opening that this was caused by something a little larger than a Great tit, on closer inspection I was pleased and surprised to see Owl pellets at the base of the tree below the box. Is it being used for roosting in the day, or has a Tawney Owl moved in? I will let you know when I find out.

Owl pellets.

Not a bad couple of hours on a miserable day. See you soon.

From Little Oaks

Today, land owner Joe Goddard and me set out to plant a few tree's in Manor House spinney. Each year I get a few tree's presented to me in exchange for doing a Wildlife talk at a Brockshill Country park. 

http://www.oadby-wigston.gov.uk/pages/brocks_hill_visitor_centre_and_country_park

Native species, mainly Oak with a few Horse Chestnuts now and again. These tree's are only small but ideal for out needs around my patch.

Oak & Horse Chestnut.

As you can see from the next image the spinney is getting rather sparse in some places, we hope to sort this for future generations, we plant about a dozen tree's each year, which doesn't seem a lot, but over a ten year period it equates to 120 new trees.

Joe is a great lover of nature in all its forms and is alway seen working on something or other around his land. I am indebted to him for allowing me the privilege of sharing it with him.
Joe likes to plant trees when possible next to an old removed tree stump, the new tree will feed off the rotting old stump and hopefully thrive. Cookie as you can see is never far from Joe's side.

Joe in action planting a small Oak.

While planting our next tree, we heard a scurry behind us, it was Cookie in full pursuit. We called but he ignored us, after a while we saw what he was after, a Pheasant. He was carrying it in his jaws, Joe said "Cookie leave" at which point Cookie dropped the bird. 

We assumed it was dead as it was lifeless, Cookie looked on. As we were discussing whether it would be a meal for Sue & Joe or the Buzzard it moved. It must have been stupefied momentarily, the only problem now was as soon as it moved Cookie was back on the prowl again.

Joe called him off and the Pheasant was away like a shot, a lucky old Pheasant if you ask me.

Here Cookie.

As we finished off the planting, I asked Joe if he would pose behind one of the Oaks,of course he agreed, we spoke about how good it would be to see it in a 100 years time, better still if I could take the picture as well, that would be nice aye.

Joe with the Lock house behind.

As we arrived back at the house we spoke again (yes we have ideas but don't always get around to completing them) about fixing a perch over the pond for the Kingfisher, we both agree its a good idea and decided we need to get the boat out and drive the perch in from the water side. I will let you know when we complete this mammoth task.

The Pond.

After a brew and scone, and a nice chat back at the house, it was time to leave, as I walked to my car I looked at the old barn and realised that  it won't be too long now before the Swallows will arrive back from Africa to start the their whole life cycle over again. Not long to Spring now, I can't wait.

The old Swallow barn.

Grandaughter Duties

I was on call today to ferry my Grandaughter about, always pleased to see her and love her to bits, but in the middle of the day!!! I needed to top up the feeders especially as I did not go down the hide yesterday (Sunday my day off) so I filled my carrying bag with seed, sunflower hearts and peanuts and headed off. Pete the farmer had a rabbit for me, left it on the top of his car, it was minus its head (I didn't ask). As I parked the car down at my patch I was greeted by a lot of Baa's from the Sheep in the field opposite my land, sorry guys no food from me.

Like the Necklace.

I checked out the Badger set on the way to the hide, there seemed to be a little more activity around the site. I walked along the sheep netting fence alongside Canal spinney in an attempt to see if anything was about when at the back of the pond I saw some blood, what could this be from?

It wasn't long before I found out, about ten feet away I found my old mate the Moorhen.

I was sad to see this as I had a good relationship with this bird, we used to speak to each other on a regular basis. Below is how she was in her prime only a week or so ago.

So the question is what did the dastardly deed? Not the Fox, he would have taken it away whole, the Buzzard? Not for me, I am leaning towards a Sparrow Hawk, but I may never know. What I do know is I will miss my old mate. Although the Buzzard was around as I crossed the field to the hide, I really think the Buzzard is not a suspect.

As I was topping up the feeders there were four Robins within touching distance, I put some suet sticks in my left hand and offered them to the Robins, within seconds this fella had landed on my hand, amazing how tame the wildlife can be when times get hard.

No time to sit in the hide today so I decided on a walk in Canal Spinney, I climbed the fence at the back of the pond into the wood. I am sure the Fox have their Den here somewhere and with a heavy layer of snow it would be a good time to try and find it, having said that I didn't see one Fox footprint, shows what I know aye. 


You can see the wood top left of this image.

It was a lovely walk even though the snow was quiet deep in places, I only fell over three times, its amazing how quick you fall down as you get older, and with old tree branches hidden under the snow every step was a potential fall, I even made my self laugh after the third fall.

Some images from the Spinney. The Canal borders the land on one side.

It was now nearly time to get Martha, but a quick call at Pete's farm on the way home to see if anything was about, it turned out nothing was, not even Pete. I had a look around the farm and noticed this barn if ideal for a Barn Owl box. I must get one erected in this barn before too long.

Prime for a nest box.

Nice to see some young cattle about and look forward to seeing these in the field at the back of our home come the Spring.

The Weekend is here!

Yes I know I am retired and no every day is not the same. I love the weekend football on Saturday and a day off on Sunday. Well the weather put paid to the footy so I was all set to have a full day Buzzard watching. Firstly I paid a visit to the Badger set, it would be easier for me to spot the footprints around the area in the 6 inch of snow we have just had. I have to say there was not a lot to see, the foot prints from the Fox were evident as were the Badger, still not enough to give me the confidence that we have more than one Badger present (very worrying) A few sheep prints and that was that, apart from the new Badger toilet.

Badger Poo

It was interesting to note that one of the other entrances to the set was being used, again I can't say at this moment if it is our Badger or if he has a mate but we will find out in time I promise you that.

Second Entrance

I walked to the hide and it was evident that there had been a lot of activity here, I could see the grass as the birds had searched for any offerings. I topped up the feeders, put lots of free offering on the ground, cleared the snow off the duck and added a half Squirrel, surely this would tempt the Buzzard on a day when finding food would be tough. I was about to light the heater (yes I have more gas) when I heard the sound of a tractor, I opened the door and saw Joe the land owner, we chatted briefly before he went on his way to cut some logs from canal spinney. I decided this would probably put paid to the Buzzard paying me a visit, so after an hour or so I decided on a walk around the area, not before I got a quick shot of my old mate the GSW.

It was hard walking in such deep snow and how glad was I that I had decided to wear my moon boots?
I investigated a few potential Green Woodpecker nest sites ready for the Spring, then had a walk along the river Sense, not much about apart from a Grey Heron and a very startled Moorhen.

River Sense.

All in all a nice couple of hours, being Saturday though I would have rather have been at the Football.

God its been cold.

To say the last few days have been cold would be an understatement, its been bloody freezing. This is the gate I climb to enter the land to my patch, as you can see it was cold.

The tree's looked good and I wished there was some sunlight so the frost could glisten in the rays, but it was as dull as could be.

This is the set where the Badger/Fox video was taken, I set the camera again for part 2.

As I walked to the hide and could see through my binoculars that the Pheasant left for the Buzzard had been well received, as you will see from the following image.

How strange that they always seem to eat when I am not there. What is on the menu today then, well recently they have had Squirrel, Pheasant, Rabbit, so now its time for a little Duck, well quite big Ducks really.

I set the table, topped up the feeders and was determined to sit it out until the Buzzard put in an appearence.

Table set.

As I said the usual visitors were about, and I just couldn't resist taking a shot of the GSW on the reed mace, not something you see every day.

He was a regular visitor throughout the day and stopped me nodding off.

I was determined to see the daylight hour out, but at around 3.45pm disaster struck, the gas in the heater ran out, within 15 minutes I was freezing and decided to call it a day, I guess the Buzzard won again but as Arnie said "I will be back" I have seen the time when I could have sat there all day with no heat, not now I'm afraid.

A quick image from the back of the feeding station before I headed home.

Oh yeah, the new Badger footage. Still only one Brock to see but very interesting behaviour form the Fox I think you will agree.

Badger & Fox Part 2.